This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/georgetown-keeps-hope-alive-hammers-depaul-in-big-east-tournament/2016/03/09/65d45dea-e646-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Georgetown keeps hope alive, hammers DePaul in Big East tournament Georgetown keeps hope alive, hammers DePaul in Big East tournament
(35 minutes later)
NEW YORK — In the days leading up to its first-round game, Georgetown players and Coach John Thompson III talked at length about moving on from a woeful regular season with an improbable run to a Big East men’s basketball tournament championship. NEW YORK — In the days leading up to their first-round game, Coach John Thompson III and his Georgetown players talked at length about moving on from a woeful regular season with an improbable run to a Big East men’s basketball tournament championship.
The eighth-seeded Hoyas had dropped six in a row though prior to facing No. 9 seed DePaul on Wednesday night, so nothing in their recent past indicated they were in store for lengthy stay. Still, there was some encouraging news with Bradley Hayes performing well enough in the morning shootaround to rejoin the lineup. The eighth-seeded Hoyas had dropped six in a row prior to facing No. 9 seed DePaul on Wednesday night, so nothing in their recent past indicated they were in store for lengthy stay. Still, there was some encouraging news: Bradley Hayes had performed well enough in the morning shootaround to rejoin the lineup.
After missing every game of his team’s slide with a broken left hand, the 7-foot senior center made an immediate impact, and Georgetown’s 70-53 triumph at Madison Square Garden ensured its season would continue for at least one more day. The Hoyas’ reward for winning for the first time in a month is a date with top-seeded Villanova on Thursday afternoon. After missing every game of his team’s late slide with a broken left hand, the 7-foot senior center made an immediate impact, and Georgetown’s 70-53 triumph at Madison Square Garden ensured its season would continue for at least one more day. The Hoyas’ reward for winning for the first time in a month was a date with top-seeded Villanova on Thursday afternoon.
[For Georgetown, only one route to NCAA tournament][For Georgetown, only one route to NCAA tournament]
“It’s a huge difference, and it goes above and beyond what shows up on this,” Thompson said of Hayes while holding a box score. “Bradley gives his teammates confidence. They feel safe when he’s on the court. He’s kind of like Linus’s blanket for the rest of the team. They just feel safer when he’s out there, and so glad to have him back. Very, very glad to have him back.”“It’s a huge difference, and it goes above and beyond what shows up on this,” Thompson said of Hayes while holding a box score. “Bradley gives his teammates confidence. They feel safe when he’s on the court. He’s kind of like Linus’s blanket for the rest of the team. They just feel safer when he’s out there, and so glad to have him back. Very, very glad to have him back.”
Georgetown (15-17) won all three matchups against the Blue Demons this season — all by double figures — and avoided the ignominy of losing to them in the first round of the Big East tournament for the second time in three years. The Hoyas failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament after DePaul, as a No. 10 seed, shockingly bounced them, 60-56, in 2014. Georgetown (15-17) won all three matchups against the Blue Demons this season — all by double figures — and avoided the ignominy of losing to them in the first round of the Big East tournament for the second time in three years. The Hoyas failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament after DePaul, as a No. 10 seed, dented their résumé with a 60-56 shocker in 2014.
Senior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera had a game-high 20 points for the Hoyas, whose only path to the NCAA tournament is by claiming the Big East’s automatic berth. Hayes added 10 points and a game-high seven rebounds while wearing a soft brace on his hand, and sophomore guard-forward L.J. Peak chipped in 10 points. Senior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera had a game-high 20 points for the Hoyas, whose only path to the NCAA tournament is by claiming the Big East’s automatic berth. Hayes added 10 points and a game-high seven rebounds while wearing a soft brace on his hand, and sophomore guard-forward L.J. Peak chipped in another 10 points.
“It was a mental boost,” Smith-Rivera said of Hayes. “He made his presence felt for everybody else on the team. For me, I was just excited to play with him again. He’s the only classmate technically that I have in our group. I’m just glad to have him back.” “It was a mental boost,” Smith-Rivera said of Hayes’s return. “He made his presence felt for everybody else on the team. For me, I was just excited to play with him again. He’s the only classmate, technically, that I have in our group. I’m just glad to have him back.”
[Feinstein: Hoyas should not be considering coaching change][Feinstein: Hoyas should not be considering coaching change]
Ahead by four early in the second half, Georgetown got eight points in a row from Smith-Rivera for a 47-35 cushion. Smith-Rivera made two three-pointers in the surge and had a chance for a three-point play but missed the bonus free throw. After DePaul’s Rashaun Stimage scored on an offensive rebound putback, Hayes made 1 of 2 foul shots and a layup to grow the margin to 50-37. Ahead by four early in the second half, Georgetown got eight points in a row from Smith-Rivera for a 47-35 cushion. Smith-Rivera made two three-pointers in the surge and had a chance for a three-point play but missed the bonus free throw. After DePaul’s Rashaun Stimage scored on a putback, Hayes made 1 of 2 foul shots and a layup to grow the margin to 50-37.
Smith-Rivera swished his third three-pointer of the second half before DePaul Coach Dave Leitao called timeout. Following the stoppage, freshman forward Marcus Derrickson made both ends of a one-and-one for a 55-37 lead with 8 minutes 56 seconds remaining in the game. The advantage swelled to 20 when Derrickson sank two more free throws with the Hoyas in the double bonus. Smith-Rivera swished his third three-pointer of the second half before DePaul Coach Dave Leitao called timeout. Following the stoppage, freshman forward Marcus Derrickson made both ends of a one-and-one for a 55-37 lead with 8 minutes 56 seconds remaining in the game.
DePaul (9-22) never got closer than 14 points the rest of the way in losing for the fourth time in a row and its eighth in nine games. DePaul (9-22) never got closer than 13 points the rest of the way, losing for the fourth time in a row and eighth time in nine games.
“We had a lot of bad possessions or disorganized possessions,” Leitao said. “Some of it is explainable. Some of it is not explainable. That got us in trouble.”“We had a lot of bad possessions or disorganized possessions,” Leitao said. “Some of it is explainable. Some of it is not explainable. That got us in trouble.”
[Bracketology: How the NCAA tournament is looking][Bracketology: How the NCAA tournament is looking]
A first-half burst from the Blue Demons to get them within one possession was enough to prompt Thompson to call timeout with 4:12 left until the break. Hayes also had just picked up his third personal foul, and Smith-Rivera was on the bench with two personals, but Georgetown dug in defensively while creating opportunities in transition. A first-half burst from the Blue Demons to get within one possession, at 27-24, was enough to prompt Thompson to call timeout with 4:12 left until the break. Hayes also had just picked up his third personal foul, and Smith-Rivera was on the bench with two personals of his own, but Georgetown dug in defensively while creating opportunities in transition.
The result was a 35-24 lead at intermission that could have been larger had freshman forward Kaleb Johnson released his layup to close the first half an instant sooner. Officials waved off the basket after going to the replay monitor to determine the ball was still in his hand as the buzzer sounded. The Hoyas nonetheless had gone their longest stretch of the half without allowing a point.The result was a 35-24 lead at intermission that could have been larger had freshman forward Kaleb Johnson released his layup to close the first half an instant sooner. Officials waved off the basket after going to the replay monitor to determine the ball was still in his hand as the buzzer sounded. The Hoyas nonetheless had gone their longest stretch of the half without allowing a point.
The return of one particular familiar face helped.
“My whole mind-set was trying to be an energy boost for my teammates,” Hayes said. “I felt like mentally they were down because of the way the season ended with the last couple of games. I didn’t have the mind-set to come in and try to be an offensive factor or be a start player. I wanted to give everybody that mental boost to get them playing how I’m used to them playing.”“My whole mind-set was trying to be an energy boost for my teammates,” Hayes said. “I felt like mentally they were down because of the way the season ended with the last couple of games. I didn’t have the mind-set to come in and try to be an offensive factor or be a start player. I wanted to give everybody that mental boost to get them playing how I’m used to them playing.”