OFF-CENTER: Georgetown Comes Up Short at UConn, 93-79

Huskies dominate Hoyas on second-chance points 30-3

With freshman center Thomas Sorber recovering from surgery on his foot, Ed Cooley and your Georgetown Hoyas headed to Hartford, CT, to take on the two-time defending national champion UConn Huskies. Without Sorber, and with sophomore forward Drew Fielder fouling out with 15+ minutes left in the game, the Hoyas were beaten in Connecticut, 93-79, giving up 30 second chance points on 13 offensive rebounds.

This season, UConn has struggled to meet its championship expectations, sitting at 10-6 in BIG EAST play—good for fourth in the conference. To make matters worse, they had just been thumped by a resurgent St. John’s team at Madison Square Garden. In their first meeting with Georgetown at Capital One Arena in early January, Dan Hurley’s squad pulled away in the second half to win by 8 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score suggested.

Off the jump, Micah Peavy (25 PTS) picked up where he left off, knocking down a pair of early threes. Jordan Burks (11 PTS, 3 REB) and Jayden Epps (13 PTS, 2 STL) followed suit as the Hoyas came out scorching from beyond the arc. After Georgetown drilled a fourth straight three just three minutes into the game, Dan Hurley had seen enough, calling a timeout to stop the Hoyas’ 9-0 run. 14-4, Georgetown.

Unfortunately, it worked. UConn responded with an 8-0 run of its own, cutting the lead to 14-12. Back and forth we go. At the under 8-minute timeout, the Hoyas clung to a 26-25 lead. Then, things started to unravel. Out of the break, the offense sputtered—stop me if you’ve heard that before. UConn took advantage, dominating the offensive glass and converting an and-one after Drew Fielder, the only true big man available without Sorber, picked up his third foul. Ed Cooley was irate, calling his first timeout with five minutes left in the half and the Hoyas trailing 33-29 after an 8-0 Huskies run. Just 23 seconds later, UConn scored again, and Cooley immediately burned his second timeout.

Georgetown couldn’t find any rhythm offensively, and UConn started to pull away. Huskies center Tarris Reed Jr. (20 PTS, 9 REB) punished them inside, helping stretch the lead to seven at halftime. 42-35, UConn.

The Hoyas came out swinging in the second half, opening with a 4-0 burst punctuated by a Jordan Burks breakaway dunk. But the momentum didn’t last, as UConn quickly restored its cushion. Drew Fielder tried to keep Georgetown in it with two big threes, but with 16 minutes left and the Huskies up 52-49, he picked up his fifth foul on a soft, late whistle in the lane.

That was the turning point. Without any size inside, Georgetown had no answer as UConn’s lead ballooned to double digits, fueled in part by a relentless march to the free-throw line. Just 10 minutes into the half, 14 of UConn’s 26 2nd half points came from the line. On top of that, the Huskies seemed to get extra possessions every trip down the floor thanks to Georgetown’s lack of size on the offensive glass.

By the under 8-minute timeout, UConn led 76-67 and never looked back. The Huskies continued to feast in the paint, racking up 30 second-chance points off 13 offensive rebounds. Down the stretch, it was the same story on every possession: UConn dumped it inside, grabbed the offensive rebound, and kicked it out for three. When the final buzzer sounded, the Hoyas dropped to 7-10 in BIG EAST play. Final score: UConn 93, Georgetown 79.

Georgetown has three big men on the roster, and only one started. Once Fielder fouled out, the UConn bigs had a field day, and the 16 minutes without him decided this game. Jordan Burks played well, but it’s nearly impossible to win a BIG EAST game with him at center. That said, credit to this team for fighting. They embraced the small ball and did everything they could to strip the ball before UConn’s bigs could go up high. It speaks to the culture Ed Cooley is building. Get healthy soon, Thomas and Julius.

And a special shoutout to Micah Peavy, who is now officially on the NBA radar. He’s a capital-F Fighter. His last month has been ridiculous—he’s the only player since 2002 to average 24+ PTS, 7+ REB, 5+ AST, and 3+ STL in a calendar month. Tonight? 25 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL. Silly.

The Hoyas are back in action Saturday at 8 PM at Capital One Arena against the Marquette Golden Eagles.

Hoya Saxa.