Burton Beats Buzzer: Hampton Next

Layup Gives Hoyas First Tourney Win Since 1996

By Sarah Walsh Hoya Staff Writer

Hoya File Photo/The Hoya Sophomore Demetrius Hunter and the Georgetown guards handled the pressure of the Arkansas press to come away with a 63-61 victory.

BOISE, IDAHO – With Georgetown and Arkansas tied at 61 in the final seconds of the first round of the NCAA Tournament, every member of the sold-out crowd at Boise State Pavillion was focused on Hoya senior swingman Nathaniel Burton.

The crowd rose to its feet as Burton drove the lane and lofted the ball in for the decisive left-handed layup as the buzzer sounded. After a video review, the officials ruled that the basket was good, giving the 10th-seeded Hoyas the 63-61 victory and sending them to the second round of the tournament.

“That’s all I was thinking about – putting the ball in the basket,” Burton said.

While there was doubt at the scorer’s table, the Georgetown bench knew the shot was good.

“I wasn’t nervous,” junior guard Kevin Braswell said. “I was yelling `the game’s over, the game’s over’ and coach told me to shut up.”

“We looked to see if it was a shot clock violation. It was not,” head referee Ted Hillary said.

The Hoyas ran off the floor celebrating their upset over the seventh-seeded Razorbacks. For Burton, it was both celebration and relief.

“If I would have missed that shot, I would have been in big trouble by [Head Coach Craig] Esherick,” Burton said with a laugh after the game. “I made a great play.”

“And he’s modest too,” Esherick quipped.

After the game, Georgetown celebrated its first victory in the NCAA Tournament since 1996. In a contest marked by sloppy play on both sides (the Hoyas amassed 23 turnovers and the Razorbacks 19), the Hoyas were in danger of letting the game slip away during the second half. Down 31-30 at the break, an offensive dry spell for Georgetown allowed Arkansas to pull in front 52-45. With 10 minutes and 26 seconds to play and the Hoyas still down seven, Braswell recorded his fourth foul and was replaced by senior guard Anthony Perry at the point.

Despite the absence of the junior co-captain, a layup by senior center Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje coupled with a putback by freshman forward Mike Sweetney cut Arkansas’ lead to three. A made free throw by Sweetney and two more from freshman forward Gerald Riley tied the game at 52. After that, Georgetown continued to play catch up with the Razorbacks pulling ahead several times only to have the Hoyas tie it up again.

Much of the Hoyas’ advantage in the second half was a result of increased aggression on the boards. Arkansas outrebounded Georgetown 23-19 in the first half, but the Hoyas pulled down 28 rebounds in the second half, giving them an edge. Offensively, the Hoyas grabbed 18 rebounds for 16 second-chance points, while the Razorbacks got just four points off the offensive glass.

Arkansas, one of the best defensive teams in the Southeastern Conference and notorious for its full-court press, played aggressive defense throughout the contest. Preparing for this game, however, the Hoyas practiced breaking the press and the half-court trap and managed to overcome it.

Three Hoyas scored in double digits, including Sweetney who posted his fifth double-double of his career with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Braswell added 12 points and four assists, while Perry contributed 10 points.

Boise yesterday became the site of some of the tournament’s first big upsets. Georgetown will face 15th-seeded Hampton on Saturday. The Pirates stunned second-seeded Iowa State 58-57 to become only the fourth No. 15 seed to advance past the first round of the tournament. Georgetown will tip-off against Hampton at 5:50 p.m. EST on Saturday.