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Georgetown Hoyas clinch most losses since 1972 with rout at Villanova Georgetown Hoyas clinch most losses since 1972 with rout at Villanova
(35 minutes later)
PHILADELPHIA — At 2:19 p.m. on Saturday, Georgetown’s regular season crawled to a miserable conclusion as third-ranked Villanova wrapped up an 84-71 trouncing of the Hoyas at the Wells Fargo Center.PHILADELPHIA — At 2:19 p.m. on Saturday, Georgetown’s regular season crawled to a miserable conclusion as third-ranked Villanova wrapped up an 84-71 trouncing of the Hoyas at the Wells Fargo Center.
In truth, the fate of this particular game was determined far earlier in the afternoon. In front of a sellout crowd, the Wildcats raced out to a 27-6 lead, held a 46-27 edge at halftime and deftly brushed aside a brief Hoyas rally in the second half.
The Wildcats raced to a 27-6 lead, held a 46-27 edge at halftime and deftly brushed aside a brief Georgetown rally in the second half before a sellout crowd of 20,173 at Wells Fargo Center. “I think we got some open looks that didn’t go in, and then our defense became porous,” Georgetown Coach John Thompson III said. “I think we were a little frustrated with ‘Oh, my shot didn’t go in,’ and so there was negative carryover to the other end.”
“I think we got some open looks that didn’t go in and then our defense became porous,” Coach John Thompson III said. “I think we were a little frustrated with ‘Oh, my shot didn’t go in,’ and so there was negative carryover to the other end.” L.J. Peak scored a career-high 31 points for the Hoyas (14-17, 7-11 Big East), who will be the No. 8 seed in the 10-team conference tournament when it begins Wednesday in New York. Josh Hart scored 18 points for Villanova (27-4, 16-2), which had 23 assists on 27 field goals.
L.J. Peak scored a career-high 31 points for the Hoyas (14-17, 7-11), who will be the No. 8 seed in the Big East tournament when it begins Wednesday in New York. Josh Hart scored 18 points for Villanova (27-4, 16-2), which had 23 assists on 27 field goals.
Georgetown’s sixth consecutive loss and ninth in 10 games provided another low point in a season cluttered with them. Thompson did not arrive for his postgame news conference until 55 minutes after the final buzzer — “We only talked for like a minute or two,” he deadpanned when asked what he told the team after the game — and was clearly exhausted by the accumulation of rough outings in recent weeks.Georgetown’s sixth consecutive loss and ninth in 10 games provided another low point in a season cluttered with them. Thompson did not arrive for his postgame news conference until 55 minutes after the final buzzer — “We only talked for like a minute or two,” he deadpanned when asked what he told the team after the game — and was clearly exhausted by the accumulation of rough outings in recent weeks.
Few could have fully foreseen these Hoyas losing their most games since 1971-72 — the 3-23 season that immediately preceded John Thompson Jr.’s arrival as head coach. But things crumbled over the last month, and the loss of center Bradley Hayes to a broken hand in mid-February left Georgetown without an exceptional on-court communicator. Few could have fully foreseen these Hoyas losing their most games since 1971-72 — the 3-23 season that immediately preceded John Thompson Jr.’s arrival as head coach. But things crumbled over the past month, and the loss of center Bradley Hayes to a broken hand in early February left Georgetown without an exceptional on-court communicator.
The Hoyas have yet to win without Hayes, a senior who played sparingly in his first three years until emerging as a reliable contributor this season, though his absence is the hardly the only reason Georgetown has not win since Feb. 8. The Hoyas have yet to win without Hayes, a senior who played sparingly in his first three years until emerging as a reliable contributor this season, though his absence is the hardly the only reason Georgetown has not won since Feb. 8. For starters, that was the day Georgetown ran out of regular season games against DePaul and St. John’s; the Hoyas went 3-11 against everyone else in the Big East.
For starters, that was the day Georgetown ran out of regular season games against DePaul and St. John’s. The Hoyas went 3-11 against everyone else in the Big East. But there were also back-court depth questions Georgetown could never fully answer. While D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera’s scoring acumen is unquestioned, the Hoyas had few other ballhandlers they could turn to throughout the season, a problem amplified by frequent foul trouble. (Georgetown entered Saturday ranked No. 344 in opponent’s free throw rate, according to KenPom.com.)
But there are also back-court depth questions Georgetown could never fully answer. While D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera’s scoring acumen is unquestioned, the Hoyas had few other ballhandlers they could turn to throughout the season. That problem was amplified by frequent foul trouble (Georgetown entered Saturday ranked No. 344 in opponent’s free throw rate, according to the advanced statistical website KenPom.com). Yet there’s a difference between a struggling team and a hopeless one, and Georgetown was far more of the former than the latter prior to Saturday. Its most recent losses had come in overtime against Butler and when it allowed a pair of last-second free throws in a loss at Marquette.
Yet there’s a difference between a struggling team and a hopeless one, and Georgetown was far more of the former than the latter prior to Saturday. Its most recent losses came in overtime (against Butler) and when it allowed a pair of last-second free throws in a loss at Marquette. Still, it all adds up to the most challenging season in Thompson’s 12-year tenure.
It all adds up to the most challenging season in Thompson’s 12-year tenure.
“By far, by far,” Thompson said. “It’s not close.”“By far, by far,” Thompson said. “It’s not close.”
A lopsided loss to Villanova, who won the Big East regular season title by two games over No. 5 Xavier, hardly constitutes a surprise for anyone in the conference. The Wildcats entered Saturday with nine victories in their last 10 games, and all of the triumphs came by at least 10 points. A lopsided loss to Villanova, which won the Big East regular season title by two games over fifth-ranked Xavier, hardly constitutes a surprise. Stylistically, though, the Wildcats’ almost instantaneous burial of the Hoyas was a stark reminder of the gap between Georgetown and the top of the conference. Villanova turned nine takeaways into 17 points in the first half, and maintained a double-digit margin for the game’s anticlimactic final 35 minutes.
Stylistically, though, Villanova’s almost instantaneous burial of the Hoyas was a stark reminder of the gap between Georgetown and the top of the conference. Villanova turned nine takeaways into 17 points in the first half, and maintained a double-digit margin for the game’s anticlimactic final 35 minutes.
“Too many times we allowed a poor offensive possession to turn into a poor defensive possession today,” Thompson said. “I can always list ‘Communication needs to be better, this that and the other,’ which it does. I just think we’re letting one end of the court affect the other end of the court too much.”“Too many times we allowed a poor offensive possession to turn into a poor defensive possession today,” Thompson said. “I can always list ‘Communication needs to be better, this that and the other,’ which it does. I just think we’re letting one end of the court affect the other end of the court too much.”
It also leaves Georgetown ensured of a losing season unless it wins the conference tournament or gets on a run in a third-tier postseason event willing to take sub-.500 teams. More strikingly, the Hoyas must play on the first day of the Big East tournament for the second time in three years.It also leaves Georgetown ensured of a losing season unless it wins the conference tournament or gets on a run in a third-tier postseason event willing to take sub-.500 teams. More strikingly, the Hoyas must play on the first day of the Big East tournament for the second time in three years.
The Hoyas of 2014 arrived at Madison Square Garden harboring at-large NCAA tournament hopes and promptly lost to DePaul. The Hoyas of 2014 arrived at Madison Square Garden harboring at-large NCAA tournament hopes and promptly lost to DePaul. This iteration, too, meets the ever-scuffling Blue Demons in the Big East tournament’s first game, with Villanova looming as its potential quarterfinal opponent — which would seem troubling considering Saturday’s showing, aside from one obvious upshot.
This Georgetown team, too, meets the ever-scuffling Blue Demons in the Big East tournament’s first game. Georgetown’s potential quarterfinal opponent is Villanova, which would seem a bit depressing considering Saturday’s showing aside from one obvious upshot.
“It would mean we finally broke our losing streak on Wednesday,” Thompson said.“It would mean we finally broke our losing streak on Wednesday,” Thompson said.