Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

MEN’S BASKETBALL | Hoyas Defeat the Seton Hall Pirates, 81-75

Georgetown continued its hot run against Seton Hall on Feb. 20, beating the Pirates 81-75 in a statement win for the Hoyas, with five players putting up double digits in the points column. 

The win demonstrates a change in the tides for Georgetown’s season: After beating the Pirates, the Hoyas have now won the majority of their games since a three-week break in January prompted by a COVID-19 outbreak within the team. 

Georgetown (7-10, 5-7 Big East) entered the contest against Seton Hall (13-9, 10-6 Big East) after a dominant win against the Butler Bulldogs (7-13, 6-11 Big East) the previous week. Since the COVID-19 outbreak that stopped their play, the Hoyas have reemerged as a new team, going 4-2 with their losses, both against ranked opponents in hard-fought games. Before the outbreak, Georgetown was just 1-5 in conference play.

Offense started off strong, as the Hoyas burst out of the gates with four three-point shots in the first six minutes of play, prompting a Pirates timeout. Senior guard Jahvon Blair kicked off the festivities from behind the three-point line in what would be his only basket of the game; Blair currently leads the Big East in three-pointers made per game, at just under three per game. 

Georgetown shot well in the first half, shooting above 50% from both the floor and the three-point line. These figures only improved in the second half, in which the Hoyas finished shooting 63% from the three-point line. Entering the game, Seton Hall boasted the best defense in the conference in terms of field goal percentage, which made Georgetown’s strong shooting performance even more impressive. 

Despite their solid offense, the Hoyas allowed 10 offensive rebounds for 11 second-chance points in the first half. This low performance in the first half is uncharacteristic for Georgetown, the best rebounding team in the Big East. 

Seton Hall immediately went on a 7-point run to open the second half, prompting a Georgetown timeout. A basket by graduate forward Chudier Bile gave the Hoyas their first points of the second half and ended the Pirates’ run. Senior forward Sandro Mamukelashvil spearheaded Seton Hall’s offensive run and finished the game with 22 points, the most of any player on either team. 

Courtesy GUHoyas | Senior guard Jahvon Blair, 0, jumps over the Seton Hall defender for a layup. Blair currently leads the Big East for three-point baskets made in the 2020-21 season.

Both teams proceeded to go back and forth as the Pirates’ lead hovered around 3 points. During the stretch, senior forward Jamorko Pickett hit a deep three in one of his best performances of the year. A dynamic scorer, Pickett finished with 20 points on an impressive 8-11 shooting.

Georgetown tied the game at 51-51 with a three-pointer from Bile with 12 minutes left to play. Bile’s improvement has been one of the leading factors in the Hoyas turnaround. His game has significantly improved since the break, cutting down on turnovers and dramatically getting better as a scorer. 

Graduate guard Donald Carey finished a 4-point play to give the Hoyas an 8-point lead with eight minutes left to play. Just minutes later, Carey finished another 4-point play, and Georgetown never looked back. 

The Hoyas closed the game out with a series of tough baskets to win 81-75. This victory leaves the season series between the two teams at 1-1 and seriously diminishes the Pirates’ chances at an NCAA Tournament bid, as they currently sit in third place in the Big East. 

Freshman guard Dante Harris made multiple impact plays down the stretch to help propel Georgetown to victory, finishing with 14 points and a team-high eight assists. Recent graduate and fan favorite forward Jagan Mosely (MSB ’20) chimed in on Twitter during the game, saying he believes Harris “has a great chance to be the best PG in the Big East his senior year.” 

“The sky is the limit. I still got a lot of work to do,” Harris said in a postgame press conference.

The Hoyas have proven they can compete with any team in the Big East; they have gotten hot at just the right time, with the Big East tournament quickly approaching. While they will likely have a tough schedule because of their poor performance to start the year, the Hoyas could easily make a serious run in the tournament. 

After being initially predicted to finish last in the Big East by its coaches, Georgetown and Ewing deserve a ton of respect for their perseverance and performance this season. Barring a significant drop-off to end the season, the Hoyas will look to carry this momentum into next season and the years to come as they seek to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. 

The team is feeling confident as it heads into the Big East tournament, according to Pickett. 

“We have the utmost confidence in ourselves and our ability,” Pickett said in a postgame press conference. “We feel like we can match up with anyone in the country, not just the Big East, so we’re going into [the tournament] with the confidence of nothing less than winning.” 

The Hoyas will be back in action Feb. 23 in McDonough Arena to take on the UConn Huskies. Tip off is set for 9 p.m. EST.

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