Brian Cassella/The Daily Tar Heel Freshman forward Brendan Bowman breaks through the Tar Heels’ defense for an easy dunk. Bowman had 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the Hoyas’ Wednesday win.
It’s not the Final Four they would have preferred, but the Hoyas will take the victory anyway, defeating North Carolina 79-74 to advance to Madison Square Garden for the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
After taking an eight-point lead into the final four minutes of the game, Georgetown (18-14) watched North Carolina (19-16) pull even behind the efforts of freshman guard. Rashad McCants’ runner in the lane knotted the score at 70 with a little over two minutes remaining. After forcing shots on the previous two offensive possessions, All-American forward Mike Sweetney backed down a pair of Tar Heels in the low post, then kicked the ball to a wide open Drew Hall who buried a decisive three-pointer from the elbow to secure the victory for the Hoyas. Hall, Tony Bethel and Gerald Riley each netted a pair of free throws in the final minute to stave off North Carolina.
Riley played a key role in the victory, complimenting Sweetney’s 22 points in the paint with 22 of his own, including shooting three of five from behind the arc. Riley scored 11 of his 22 points during an impressive 22-4 Georgetown run to rally from an eight-point deficit to a 10-point lead.
McCants answered for the Tar Heels late in the second half during a three-minute stretch, scoring 14 of his teams’ 16 and pulling North Carolina even with a shot and a foul in the lane with 2:03 remaining. After a Georgetown timeout, McCants missed the ensuing free throw however, setting the stage for Hall’s difference-making three-pointer.
On the possession prior to Hall’s three-pointer, Sweetney forced a shot up despite being contested by three UNC players. The next time down the court, as Hall’s defender came to help guard the junior forward, Sweetney passed out to Hall for the three-point dagger. North Carolina’s David Noel missed a three-pointer at the other end of the floor and a Hoya rebound, combined with netting six straight free throws sealed the game for Georgetown.
The game opened with a flurry of scoring, as both teams found little defensive resistance. With roughly six minutes remaining in the first half and trailing 31-27, Georgetown picked up the defensive pressure, holding North Carolina scoreless from the field, and taking a 34-32 lead into halftime.
“Early on, I was worried that we were going to get blown out,” Georgetown Head Coach Craig Esherick said in his post-game press conference. “I decided, `Let’s start trapping them and see if we can disrupt their shooting.’ I think we did that.”
Georgetown continued its intensity in the second half and forced 18 North Carolina turnovers, 11 by steals. The Tar Heels only turned the ball over seven times in their previous game against Wyoming. Georgetown took advantage of the North Carolina miscues, scoring 25 points off turnovers.
Georgetown’s offense often moved crisply, with the guards finding room to penetrate the lane and then finish or dish to Sweetney. The Hoyas finished the night shooting 52 percent from the floor, including a 54 percent combined performance by Hall, Bethel and Riley.
The victory was Georgetown’s third straight on the road since the start of the NIT. The Hoyas also defeated the Volunteers and the Friars in Tennessee and Providence.
“That’s really something,” Esherick said. “I thought our guys did a great job at keeping their composure. I’m really proud of them.”
Georgetown will appear in the NIT Final Four for the first time in nearly a decade. The Hoyas last made the trip to the Garden in 1993, losing in the finals to Minnesota. Georgetown will play innesota next Tuesday. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
