LINKS: Georgetown-Xavier Clash, Cooley-Fan Altercation

Hoyas looked solid until the ball stopped moving

Your Georgetown Hoyas fell to the Xavier Musketeers 74-69 in a hard-fought game on Tuesday night that included a post-game altercation between Coach Ed Cooley and a fan. Overall, Georgetown gave up the lead with about 4 minutes left in the first half and— although they challenged and were within two points a couple times—the Hoyas offense never looked as smooth or connected as it did in the first 13 minutes.

At the under-8 media timeout, leading 22-16, Georgetown was 9-18 FG (3-7 3PT) on 9 assists, many of which were feeding Thomas Sorber (4-5 FG at that point). Xavier was 6-16 FG (1-6 3PT) with 6 turnovers. Then the ball stopped moving and the Musketeers picked up the pace on offense—GU was 2-9 FG (0-5 3PT) with 1 assist and XU was 5-9 (2-3 3PT) to take the 30-26 lead into halftime.

Whether it was defensive pressure or offensive dysconnectivity, Cooley and the Hoyas need to focus to get Sorber more touches during those dry spells. The pick-and-roll worked well, the double team was not too tenacious, and Sorber’s jump shot needs to be shown off (to GU fans, not any more NBA scouts).

Micah Peavy’s Career Night: Guard Micah Peavy had a standout performance, matching his career-high with 27 points. He shot 11-of-19 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and added four rebounds and four assists. Peavy’s aggressive play was a bright spot for the Hoyas, particularly in the second half. Cooley also spoke highly of Peavy, calling him a “defensive monster” who doesn’t get enough credit. Despite his efforts, it wasn’t enough to secure the win. Banners on the Parkway even noted that LaPhonso Ellis seemed to fall in love with Peavy’s play, but who wouldn’t?

Thomas Sorber’s Efficiency: Freshman Thomas Sorber was another key contributor, again, scoring 17 points on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting. He also contributed two assists and two blocks. Sorber’s strong inside presence kept the Hoyas competitive. Cooley also spoke highly of Sorber calling him “one of the best freshman in America that does not get the credit he 100% deserves.”

Strong Defensive Effort (mostly): The Hoyas’ defense forced 16 turnovers and converted those into 14 points. They limited Xavier to 51% shooting from the field. However, the Musketeers were able to score 30 points in the paint, and Xavier was able to make key shots late in the game. Give them credit for those

Offensive Stagnation: Georgetown started the game with good ball movement, racking up 10 assists in the first 12 minutes, but the ball movement stopped in the second half, and they did not have many assists. The Hoyas’ offense also struggled with only 3 offensive rebounds off of 28 missed shots. Cooley emphasized that “when the ball sings the music’s great right if the ball’s not singing you know nobody’s winning any Grammys with that.” The Hoyas were also not able to capitalize on open looks from beyond the three-point line, making only 7 of 23 attempts. The Hoyas also did not take advantage of their opportunities in the paint, where they scored only 30 points.

Post-Game Incident: After the final buzzer, Georgetown coach Ed Cooley confronted a Xavier fan. Cooley stated that the fan was “verbally attacking” one of his players. Video showed Cooley walking toward the crowd with his hands extended, and he was followed by players like Peavy. Assistant coach Kenny Johnson intervened to keep players away from the fan. Cooley later said, “While nothing physical happened, I will always protect my players if they are threatened.”. Despite the altercation, Cooley had praise for the Xavier fans saying, “you got to give your crowd a lot of credit. They really help you. This is an incredible home-court advantage,”. The incident added to the tension of a game that saw Xavier desperate for a win.

Xavier’s Desperation: Xavier, with an identical conference record as Georgetown going into the game, was in a must-win situation. As Banners on the Parkway noted, “Xavier just about did enough to win a game they very much could not afford to lose”. The Musketeers, who had just come off a six day break, did not play well, with a 22.5% turnover rate, but did enough to win. Xavier had a more balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures, led by Dailyn Swain’s career-high 18 points. Marcus Foster also had a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Cooley acknowledged that Xavier made two timely three-pointers late in the game, which ultimately gave them the edge.

Here are some links:

Hoyas Fall 74-69 at Xavier in BIG EAST Battle | Georgetown University Athletics

Musketeers Top Hoyas, 74-69, at Cintas Center | Xavier University Athletics

Xavier 74-69 Georgetown: LaPhonso Ellis finds love, but it’s Xavier who finds the win | Banners On The Parkway

Ed Cooley gets into apparent altercation with fan at end of Xavier vs. Georgetown | On3

Georgetown’s Ed Cooley confronts Xavier fan in ugly scene at end of Big East battle | New York Post

What we learned from Xavier Musketeers win over Georgetown Hoyas | Cincinnati.com