*Mr. President,*
*Thanks for coming to Verizon Center to watch your beloved Hoyas trounce the hated Duke Blue Devils today.*
*Some think your support may bring bad luck (Kentucky basketball, Martha Coakley and Chicago’s bid for the Olympics to name a few), but we at Georgetown believe in change and are more than happy to have you as our First Fan. You may not have been as vocal as the student section, but we could tell that you were impressed.*
With Barack Obama on the sideline for a marquee matchup against No. 8 Duke, No. 7 Georgetown was unstoppable. After watching the Hoyas dominate every facet of the game in an 89-77 win over the Blue Devils, perhaps the President will pick the Hoyas to win it all when he fills out his bracket in March.
“[Obama] always brings energy,” Head Coach John Thompson III said after the game. “It was good to have him here, and it was good to play well when he was here.”
The Hoyas shot an out-of-this-world 71.7 percent from the field against a Duke defense that normally holds opponents to 61.5 points per game.
The Big Three – sophomore center Greg Monroe and junior guards Chris Wright and Austin Freeman – each played like a superstar in front of the President. Monroe and Wright each scored 21 points, Freeman had 20, and the trio combined for 12 assists, four blocks and six steals.
“[Monroe] is an extremely talented basketball player,” Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Also, his perimeter is playing great – Wright and Freeman especially. Freeman, coming into this game, was one of the hottest players in the country.”
Georgetown took advantage of Duke’s pressure defense to get an array of open looks from beyond the arc and in the lane. The Hoyas connected on 5-of-7 three pointers in the first half and doubled up on the Blue Devils down low, outscoring them 48-24 in the paint.
eanwhile, Duke’s jump shots were missing the mark. Despite a number of open looks, the Blue Devils clanked 20 three pointers, and they weren’t much better inside the arc.
Georgetown was so dazzling in front of the First Fan that it only missed 13 field goals the entire game; Duke missed three times that number.
“Our team . is getting a heightened sense and understanding that we don’t have to take a bad shot,” Thompson said. “They’re doing an outstanding job night-in and night-out to help each other get shots.”
Coming out of halftime with a 46-33 lead, Duke hit back-to-back threes to cut the deficit to seven. Showing a resiliency that was absent Monday night in a blowout loss at Syracuse, the Hoyas got into the paint and shot down the Blue Devils’ run faster than a health care proposal in Congress.
Sophomore guard Jason Clark drove in for a layup, and Monroe threw home a dunk after a steal by Wright. Then the center picked Kyle Singler’s pocket and triggered a fast break that ended with a dunk by junior forward Julian Vaughn.
“Everyone knew that this was a critical situation,” Wright said. “The team, by committee, all made big plays to get that lead and stretch it back out.”
Just like that, the Hoyas’ lead was back to 13. Duke cut the margin back to single digits, but Georgetown always had a response and built a 23-point advantage late in the half.
*Were you taking notes, Mr. President?*
Even the Hoyas’ much-maligned bench outscored the Blue Devils’ reserves behind two three pointers by freshman Hollis Thompson and four free throws from freshman Jerrelle Benimon.
“Everyone did their job today,” Thompson said.
Even the President.
“The crowd was pumped up [and] Obama was there,” Wright said. “It was exciting, and I think we all came out with a little bit more energy than usual.”
*You’re welcome back any time, Mr. President. You know, we’re 10-0 at Verizon Center now. Or perhaps you’d like to stop by McDonough for a game of pickup?*
*Can we count on you when No. 4 Villanova comes to town in a week? We’ll be sure to have a gray “We Are Georgetown” shirt ready for our new First Fan.*
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