In their second game of the 2024-25 season, the Georgetown University Hoyas (2-0, 0-0 Big East) sent fans home happy by taking care of business against the Fairfield University Stags (1-2, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic) in Capital One Arena on Nov. 9.
The win brought Georgetown to a two-game win streak to begin the season after their 85-77 victory over Lehigh University (0-3, 0-0 Patriot League) Nov. 6. Similar to their matchup with Lehigh, the Hoyas were able to pull away late against the Stags, solidifying their double-digit victory.
It took a few minutes for the Hoyas to get the lid off the rim at the beginning of the game, with graduate student guard Micah Peavy drilling a 3-pointer from the right elbow just over two minutes into the game.
First-year forward Thomas Sorber supplemented this scoring with his first points of the game on a reverse layup that he finished after a sweet spin move from the baseline. However, Fairfield’s ball movement continued to give Georgetown’s defense some fits, with Fairfield burying a pair of their own 3-pointers to take an early 13-5 lead.
After a backcourt violation, Georgetown made some significant changes during a timeout. Head Coach Ed Cooley subbed out all five of his starters, seeking to quickly shift the momentum of the game.
The Hoyas’ bench was able to build momentum for the team. Free throws and a layup from first-year guard Kayvaun Mulready and a two-point jumper from sophomore guard Curtis Williams were just enough to cut the Stags’ lead down to 6 and sway momentum back to the Hoyas.
This change in the game’s flow allowed Coach Cooley to substitute his starters back into the game. Sophomore guard Malik Mack scored a layup in the paint and, in the next possession, stepped into a fastbreak 3-pointer to tie the game at 25 with just over seven minutes to play in the first half. Mack continued his scoring spurt with a fastbreak layup to give the Hoyas a 29-28 lead.
After a few more tied scores, junior guard Jayden Epps made his own contribution to the scoring, draining a 3-pointer from the corner as the clock expired for the first half. This seemed to provide the Hoyas with exactly the spark they needed as they entered the locker room.
The game seemed destined to be a nailbiter down the stretch, but the Hoyas powered through thanks to Sorber’s phenomenal performance.
Sorber carried this momentum throughout the second half where he scored 17 of his 25 points and dominated the glass tacking on 9 total rebounds. He put the exclamation point on the game when he took a pass from Mack and powered through contact to finish off an and-1 with just over a minute to play that officially iced the game and secured the win for the Hoyas.
Sorber’s notable performance follows the double-double that he tallied in his debut game versus Lehigh. The way Sorber seamlessly fits into the Georgetown system is exciting for Hoya basketball fans, as he is performing especially well for a first-year entering a new system.
“I just try to do anything I can do to help my team win, you know,” Sorber told The Hoya. “So my teammates tell me to go out there, dominate, dominate, dominate, and that’s what I just do.”
The Hoyas’ defense also stepped up during the second half. The Stags’ effort to run up the score was spoiled by the elite perimeter lockdown Georgetown perfectly executed, preventing Fairfield from making all but one of their eight attempts from three in the entire half.
Fairfield Head Coach Chris Casey shared his strategic takeaways from the second half..
“We’re not going to rely on 3-point shooting,” Casey told The Hoya. “I think what we had to do a better job of in the second half was finishing plays at the basket.”
There were a few Georgetown players whose performances were particularly impressive in this game. Naturally, all eyes will now be on Sorber throughout the season, as he has scored at least 20 points in both of his games. He also proved to be a force to be reckoned with in the paint against Fairfield, corralling 9 rebounds and blocking 2 shots. Epps amassed a statline of 12 points and 4 assists, and Peavy had an impressive all-around game as well, contributing 8 points, 5 assists, 2 blocks and a whopping 7 steals.
Cooley praised Peavy for his display of defensive prowess.
“On the ball, he was a clinic today, off the ball, a clinic,” Cooley told The Hoya. “He’s right up there, and I’ll continue to pound this, as the best on-ball defender in the country.”
The Georgetown Hoyas look to remain undefeated in their next matchup, when they will host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Nov. 16 at 1:00 p.m. at Capital One Arena.
