The Georgetown men’s basketball team went about its business with an unhealthy dose of indifference in the first half Wednesday night. An honest yet subdued conversation in the locker room at halftime rejuvenated the Hoyas on both ends of the floor, leading to an 83-70 win over Binghamton at Capital One Arena.
The Georgetown men’s basketball team went about its business with an unhealthy dose of indifference in the first half Wednesday night. An honest yet subdued conversation in the locker room at halftime rejuvenated the Hoyas on both ends of the floor, leading to an 83-70 win over Binghamton at Capital One Arena.
Junior guard KJ Lewis led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds for the first double-double of his career, and senior center Vince Iwuchukwu had 17 points and six rebounds for Georgetown, which improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2018. Junior point guard Malik Mack scored all 13 of his points in the second half.
“There was no yelling or furniture moving,” Hoyas Coach Ed Cooley said of his halftime address. “A will and a want is about success. If you really want to do it and you’re willing to sacrifice, you’re going to allow yourself a chance to have success. But if you think you’re just going to show up and it’s going to happen because you have Georgetown on your chest, you might have to transfer now because you’re never going to play.”
Georgetown’s 15-6 run to open the second half wobbled the Bearcats (1-3), and the haymaker came during a 13-1 flurry that expanded the Hoyas’ lead to 79-56 with less than five minutes to play. During the opening stages of the second half, a renewed commitment to defense stifled Binghamton into 1-for-11 shooting.
The Hoyas allowed 36.7 percent shooting in the second half, including 3 for 12 on three-pointers. They also benefited from another solid performance in terms of ball security, committing a season-low four turnovers. Georgetown has not turned the ball over more than nine times this season.
At 7-foot-1, Iwuchukwu provided a presence on the low block that contributed significantly to the Hoyas’ 46-20 margin in points in the paint. Georgetown had 32 points in the paint in the second half, with Mack repeatedly beating defenders to get to the rim for a layup or to draw a foul.
“I’m enjoying the experience at Georgetown,” said Iwuchukwu, a St. John’s transfer from Nigeria. “I’m really enjoying the guys I’m playing with, to be honest, and I’m enjoying the coaches. It’s just a belief. They believe in me. I believe in them, and it’s just all working out.”
So, too, are the early returns in Year 3 for Cooley at Georgetown, where the Hoyas’ trajectory is in line with that of his programs at his previous two stops. At his first head coaching job with Fairfield, Cooley went from 13-19 in his first season to 17-15 by his third in 2008-09. His 25-8 record in 2010-11 produced the most wins in program history and led to a homecoming at Providence.
The two-time Rhode Island high school player of the year guided the Friars to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 10 years in his third season; his team won the Big East tournament title. In a dozen seasons under Cooley, Providence secured seven NCAA tournament appearances and its first Big East regular season title in 2022.
During his introductory news conference, Cooley vowed to reclaim the Hoyas’ standing as a Big East power. The target for the rebuild to turn into a resurgence was this season.
That sort of optimism surfaced with an impressive showing against Kentucky — albeit in an exhibition game — Oct. 30 at Rupp Arena. In the first road game of the regular season, the Hoyas defeated Maryland, 70-60, on Friday in a defensive gem during which they limited the Terrapins to 25 percent shooting.
Apart from targeting players eager to defend, Cooley built the roster with an eye on keeping local standouts at home. Five players either grew up or attended high school in or around Washington, including two starters: Mack (St. John’s College High) from Oxon Hill and sophomore guard Caleb Williams (Sidwell Friends) from Upper Marlboro.
Wednesday’s starting lineup failed to provide much of a spark in the first half, during which the Bearcats got within one point several times. In each instance, Georgetown was able to answer before Lewis closed the first half with three straight baskets for the Hoyas for a 41-36 lead, foreshadowing the second-half surge.
“We weren’t very pleased with our performance in the first half,” said Lewis, an Arizona transfer. “I felt like we left a lot of possessions on the floor with just [a lack of] energy and effort. We ended the first half with a little spark, and I felt like it carried through for the first 11 minutes … in the second half.”
The post With second-half surge, Hoyas reach 3-0 for first time since 2018
appeared first on Washington Post.
