Coming off a win against rival Syracuse on Saturday afternoon, the Georgetown men’s basketball team looks to extend its five-game winning streak as the team returns home to host the UNC Greensboro Spartans.
On Saturday, timely free throw shooting and junior guard L.J. Peak’s stand out performance helped the Hoyas (7-4) defeat the Orange (6-4). In the final minute of the game, the Hoyas hit 9-of-10 free throws to protect their lead against the Orange.
Peak recorded his second career double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds, earning him Big East Honor Roll for the second straight week. Peak is currently averaging 17.0 points per game, second on the team to graduate student guard Rodney Pryor, the sole Hoya to average more than 20 points per game this season with 20.5.
Against Syracuse, Pryor notched 20 points, including shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Georgetown’s threes fell against Syracuse, and they shot 42.9 percent compared to the Orange’s 35 percent three-point shooting.
UNC Greensboro (9-3) looks to tally its third straight win on Thursday afternoon. The Spartans come off a 75-73 win on the road at UNC Asheville (8-4), and Georgetown is their last nonconference opponent before they open up play in the Southern Conference.
The team has four players averaging double figures with sophomore guard Francis Alonso, senior guard Diante Baldwin, junior forward Marvin Smith and senior center R.J. White. Alonso leads all Spartan scorers with 12.8 points per game on 43.3 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three-point range.
On the defensive end, UNC Greensboro limits opponents to an average of 62.2 points per game, significantly fewer than the 71.3 points per game Georgetown’s defense gives up. With the Spartans adept on both ends of the ball, they aim to limit the Hoya offense in order to steal a win.
This matchup marks the final game before Big East conference play begins against Marquette Dec. 28. Aside from top scorers Pryor and Peak, Georgetown has found solid play in the frontcourt from graduate student center Bradley Hayes — averaging 6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game — and sophomore center Jessie Govan, who is averaging 9.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this season.
The addition of Pryor has enhanced Georgetown’s three-point shooting ability this season. The Hoyas are currently shooting 38.8 percent from three-point range, compared to 33.9 percent during last season’s campaign. The team also boasts a 78.4 percent shooting from the free throw line this season — an improvement from last year’s 75.1% — helping the Hoyas protect their leads late into games.
With a tougher schedule as conference play begins, the Hoyas look for a win over the Spartans to give them momentum entering the conference season.
The game is set for this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Verizon Center. The contest will be televised on Fox Sports 1 and can be heard locally on 106.7 FM The Fan.
