February 6, 2019 - Basketball as a game is divided into two halves at minimum,equaling 20 minutes each in college. During Georgetown’s 76-67, BIG EAST conference win at Providence, both teams offensively stunk up Dunkin Donuts Center, with G’town going 13/32 (40.6%) during that period, the homestanding Friars managing less at 30.3% (10/33).
The long ball numbers were more stark, as Providence, now 13-10, 3-7 and 10th in the BIG EAST logged only 11.1% on first half three pointers. Alternatively, Georgetown (15-8, 5-5, 4th) put in 33.3% beyond the arc during that time.
For those interested, each team trailed their BIG EAST shooting percentages – overall and on three pointers – during the first 20 minutes.
What caused the swoon?
G’Town’s starting freshman backcourt of Mac McMclung and James Akinjo, well didn’t make many shots during the first frame, launching them at 3-7 and 0-5 clips, respectively. Classmate and forward, Josh LeBlanc shot a forgettable 1-4 then, himself.
Providence faced more zone defense than the Hoyas normally deploy, with head Hoyas Pat Ewing utilizing a 2-3 deployment for much of the half after eight and a half minutes before intermission. At the time Ed Cooley’s group seemed put on its heels, missing 11 consecutive shots over approximately four minutes.
Luckily for Hoya and Friar partisans alike, the team’s picked it up during second stanza action.
The Friars managed 44.1% from the floor and 23.1% from long distance in second half work, producing final numbers of 37.3% and 18.2%. Those final digits are not great but exceed their first half outcome.
Georgetown, by contrast, tickled the twine at 48.1% in the second half, while making 44.4% of their three pointers, helping produce final numbers of 44.1% from the field and 38.9% on long balls.
To be sure, the aforementioned trio of rookies played a role in the team’s shooting turnaround, with LeBlanc making all four of his shots second period shots, finishing with a team best 17 points. McClung logged 13 points, almost equally distributed between halves, but contributed three of his four assists in back half play. Akinjo (10 points) added three of his game high eight helpers during the last 20 minutes, but also scored all of his 8 of 10 free throws then.
Senior center Jessie Govan (13 points) and sophomore wing Jamorko Pickett (12 points), joined the neophytes in double figure scoring.
Collectively, the Hoyas pushed their 34-27, intermission lead – one driven in part by Govan’s buzzer beating three pointer – to as much as 14 late in the second stanza. They always produced answers, such as Akinjo’s only field goal followed by Pickett’s three pointer with 5:40, producing their team’s largest lead to that point. Prior to that five point run, junior wing Alpha Diallo (22 game best points and a 1,000 point milestone reached) scored a layup, giving Providence some momentum.
One place the Friars never really secured traction was rebounding, as the Hoyas beat them in that regard, 50-33. LeBlanc paced all rebounders with 11 rebounds, trailed by Govan’s seven and McClung, who had six, the last number equaling Diallo, his team’s top boarder.
Besting on the boards was a priority for Ewing, who urged during a timeout “We won the rebounding battle in the first half. Now they’re kicking out butts on the glass. We have to go get it. It’s winning time”.
Snagging caroms will also be paramount for his team Saturday, when they host Butler, a noon tip off.
Cooley’s cohorts travel to Madison Square Garden in NYC the same day, where they attempt to take down St. John’s.
