The Georgetown University men’s basketball team furthered its momentum by defeating the DePaul University Blue Demons 70-61 at Capital One Arena Jan. 28 following a heroic comeback against Providence Jan. 24. The Hoyas secured their first Big East home victory in Capital One Arena and their first win over DePaul (12-9, 4-6 Big East) under Head Coach Ed Cooley.
Georgetown (11-10, 3-7 Big East) started the game off strong, winning the opening tip which led to junior guard Malik Mack scoring a layup in traffic for the Hoyas first possession of the game. This momentum carried through the first five minutes of the game, as the Hoyas created successful opportunities from the pick and roll. In particular, sophomore center Julius Halaifonua did an excellent job finishing these plays off the short roll.
At the 18:28 mark, Halaifonua converted a 10-foot jumper off an assist from Mack. Then, just a few possessions later, Halaifonua made an impressive read to a cutting junior guard KJ Lewis for a layup, and then sank another short jump shot after running yet another pick and roll on the following offensive play. The Hoyas led 8-3 at the 15:18 mark in the first.
However, coming out of the under-16 timeout, the Blue Demons responded by running a combination of their own screen actions, allowing them to play two-on-one basketball for much of the first half. At the 10:52 mark, senior center Vince Iwuchukwu was forced to collapse on a drive from DePaul guard Brandon Maclin, leaving center Fabián Flores wide open for an alley-oop under the basket. This play cut Georgetown’s lead down to 2, with the scoreboard at 14-12 going into the under-12 timeout.
Much of the same continued for both squads as the first half dwindled down, with the guards for each team getting two feet in the paint and making the appropriate out to wing shooters or finding the roll man in stride.
Despite an intense back-and-forth stretch, the Hoyas were able to close out the half on a short 7-3 run that was jumpstarted by a no-look pass to sophomore forward Jayden Fort for a layup under the rim with 2:04 remaining in the first. Georgetown’s last field goal of the half was a crowd-popping 3-point shot at the top of the key from Halaifonua. The Hoyas headed to the locker room up 34-24 with 20 minutes of basketball left to play.
However, the second half started incredibly shakily for the Hoyas, as the Blue Demons went on an 8-0 run that began with a step-back 3-point shot from DePaul guard RJ Smith less than a minute in. Following this difficult make, DePaul converted on a layup and a long-range jumpshot to rally back within 2, Georgetown still with the 34-32 lead.
The Hoyas were able to fight adversity and rally back after the second under-16 timeout. The squad picked up their defensive intensity, especially in the paint, which allowed the team to get out and run. A transition 24-foot 3-point shot from sophomore forward Caleb Williams revitalized the energy exhibited by the Hoyas in the first half; Georgetown now led 39-32 with 16:51 to go.
Although Georgetown maintained relative control throughout, DePaul continued to make pushes, led by Maclin’s crafty guard skills. The veteran guard continuously found his way to the paint, using a change of pace and a variety of pump fakes to get defenders in the air. Maclin had 16 of his 19 points in the second half, shooting 53% from the field on the game. This production was needed for the Blue Demons as guard CJ Gunn was held to just 4 points on 1-8 shooting due to the smothering defense of Lewis and graduate guard Jeremiah Williams.
Coming out of a timeout at the 14:47 mark, the Hoyas were only up by 5, leading 41-36. Just when it seemed DePaul was geared up for yet another run, Lewis pitched it ahead to sophomore guard Kayvaun Mulready for a go-ahead 3-pointer that extended the lead to double digits with 14:08 left on the clock.
Once there was less than 10 minutes remaining in the contest, Halaifonua and sophomore forward Isaiah Abraham showed aggression in the paint to extend the Hoyas lead. At the 9:45 and 8:53 marks, Halaifonua took advantage of mismatches and got to the hoop for a layup and a two-handed dunk. Moreover, Abraham continuously put pressure on the defense by muscling his way to the free-throw line. After Abraham converted on his second free throw with 9:22 left in the game, the Hoyas were up 55-42, their largest lead of the game.
Nonetheless, just when the Hoyas seemed to have secured the win, DePaul rallied back as Gunn and Smith hit back-to-back long-range 3-point miracles to cut the lead to 57-51 with 7:39 remaining. Furthermore, after two successful drives from Maclin, it certainly looked like the Blue Demons had more left in the tank, as they trailed 61-55 with 3:36 left in the contest.
However, just as the game was getting close, Mulready made a hard cut across the baseline and nailed an off-balance 3-point shot as he was leaning out of bounds, snatching the hearts of DePaul fans as Georgetown went up 64-55 with just three minutes to go. During the final minutes of the game, Mack was able to convert on various trips to the free throw line, which sealed the game for the Hoyas.
After the game, Cooley said Mulready’s impact and dedication to the team were essential to the Hoyas’ win.
“He’s shown a consistent habit of getting in early, getting up shots, working on his body, being in shape and being one of the better defenders on the floor,” Cooley said. “Defense gets you on the floor.”
The Hoyas will next embark on a short road trip into a hostile environment as they face Butler University on Jan. 31 at 12:00 p.m. in Indianapolis, Ind.
