Game one of the John Thompson III era provided Hoya fans with hope that the future could be bright.

It also reminded them that there is still a long way to go.

The Hoyas were able to hang tough with a bigger and more talented Temple squad for the majority of the first half. A late run, however, allowed Temple to open up a lead that it would not relinquish for the rest of the game as it cruised to a 75-57 victory before 6,320 last night at MCI Center.

The Hoyas (0-1) open the season with a loss for the first time in three years, while the Owls (1-1) picked up their first win of the year after a loss to Auburn in their Friday night opener.

The most encouraging part of the night for the Hoyas came from their two freshmen, center Roy Hibbert and forward Jeff Green, both of whom saw a good deal of playing time.

Green played 36 minutes and fell just short of a double-double, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He shot only 2-8 from the field but had a couple of put-back attempts roll off the rim. He also got to the free throw line 10 times, twice more than any other Hoya.

The 7-foot-2 Hibbert also showed many positive signs, equaling a team high with 12 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of action.

He faced the unenviable task of dealing with Temple’s two big men, 7-foot-1 senior Keith Butler and 6-foot-11 sophomore Wayne arshall. Hibbert’s play impressed long-time Temple Head Coach John Chaney.

“Their big guy in the middle, I thought he did a great job against my two big guys,” Chaney said.

The two freshmen’s effort helped the Hoyas to actually outrebound the Owls in the game, despite the fact that Temple did not start a player smaller than 6-foot-5.

While the freshmen were the bright spot, what cost the Hoyas a chance to be more competitive last night was the lack of production from the three players they had counted on coming into the season to carry the majority of the scoring load.

Junior forward Brandon Bowman scored 12 points, four points below his average from last season, on 4-12 shooting.

Junior guard Ashanti Cook scored 11 while senior swingman Darrel Owens was a non-factor for most of the night after picking up two fouls early and spending most of the first half on the bench. He finished with four points in 13 minutes.

“Personally, I thought I wasn’t able to do what I was good at, slashing and getting rebounds,” Bowman said. “I’ve got to give credit to their zone and their defense because they did a heck of a job on us.”

It was the second straight year that the Owls’ famed 1-3-1 matchup zone confounded the Hoyas. Georgetown was for the most part unable to get the ball inside to Hibbert and Green and had to settle for outside shots as the shot clock was running down.

“Their zone is not your normal zone,” Thompson said. “They did a good job stretching us and limiting the passing lanes.”

After having the hot-hand early, Georgetown struggled from three-point range for most of the game, finishing 7-23 from beyond the arc.

Temple had no such trouble scoring from the field. Led by junior guard Mardy Collins, who hit all five of his three-point attempts on his way to a game-high 22 points, the Owls made 60 percent of their three-point attempts.

The Hoyas were able to keep the score close throughout much of the first half as they alternated between a smaller and bigger lineup. They opened the game going small with Green at center and Bowman at power forward. Cook and freshman guard Jonathan Wallace opened in the backcourt.

Six and a half minutes into the game, though, Thompson opted for the bigger lineup as Hibbert made his Hoya debut, replacing Wallace. He stayed in the game for the majority of the remainder of the half.

Thompson was noncommittal on future starting lineups.

“We may have a different starting lineup every game,” he said. “We’re so young, it’s not line we can put an experienced lineup out there.”

Green brought the crowd to its feet with a big rejection of freshman guard Mark Tyndale in front of the basket. Bowman followed that up with a three-pointer from the corner on the next trip down the court to bring the Hoyas within two points at 27-25 with just under three minutes remaining.

But those would be the last points Georgetown would score in the half. Meanwhile, the Owls knocked down three threes in the final 2:11, including one at the buzzer by sophomore forward Dion Dacons as part an 11-0 run which allowed them to take a comfortable 38-25 lead into the locker room.

Chaney, in his 33rd season as a college head coach and with more than 700 victories to his credit, was impressed for the performance of Thompson in his Hoya debut.

“He’s going to be fine,” Chaney said. “He’s already a great coach. Give him a year or two and he’ll get some more talent on the floor. I thought his kids played extremely well in a situation where they only have a couple of guys that can make a string of shots.”