Georgetown men’s basketball (4-0, BIG EAST) remains perfect on the season after a 79-74 win over the Clemson University Tigers (3-1, ACC) on Saturday, November 15. In front of a packed crowd and full student section at Capital One Arena, the Hoyas delivered a statement victory in their toughest test yet this season.
Sophomore forward Caleb Williams opened the scoring with a three-pointer, assisted by a neat pass from sophomore center Julius Halaifonua. The Georgetown crowd erupted, but Clemson was unfazed and kept the game close early on.
A possible issue emerged for the Hoyas in the first ten minutes of the game as Halaifonua and senior center Vince Iwuchukwu both quickly picked up two fouls. The Hoyas were vulnerable with both centers in foul trouble, and the Tigers began to attack the paint, opening up a 22-15 lead at the midway point of the first half.
The Hoyas fought their way back, led by a pair of junior guards— KJ Lewis and Malik Mack. Lewis and Mack finished Saturday’s game as Georgetown’s top scorers, and their efforts kept the Hoyas competitive. Clemson retained a 36-33 lead at halftime, but the Hoyas were poised to come back.
Photo by Ayman Alam
Georgetown tied the game less than five minutes into the second half, punctuated by a thunderous dunk from Lewis that brought the crowd to its feet, tying the score at 46-46. However, in that time, both Halaifonua and Iwuchukwu picked up their fourth fouls of the game, meaning one more foul for either center would take them out of the game. And that’s exactly what happened to Halaifonua, who fouled out with 14 minutes left, putting a great deal of pressure on Iwuchukwu to stay in the game.
Despite the foul trouble, the Hoyas went on a 9-1 run in the middle of the second half, securing a 60-51 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the contest. The Tigers clawed back, though, cutting Georgetown’s lead to just two points at 68-66.
However, Lewis kept the Hoyas out of any true danger with a steal, an and-one layup, and then a jumper that extended Georgetown’s lead to 77-68, effectively securing the win. As time finally ran out on the game, Georgetown walked away with a 79-74 win in front of a packed crowd. Crucially, Iwuchukwu, who showed impressive discipline by not picking up a fifth foul, scored the final bucket of the game for the Hoyas.
Georgetown’s on-court performance was impressive, but a parallel storyline was the enthusiasm of the crowd tonight. No image epitomizes the story of this contest more than the photos of Iwuchukwu celebrating with the student section at Capital One Arena. For a program that has struggled with waning enthusiasm in recent years, this win brought out a loud, excited crowd and a packed student section. The Hoyas will hope to keep the momentum and enthusiasm going when they host Wagner College (0-3, NEC) next Saturday at Capital One Arena at 12:00 PM.
