GTown Report: Hoyas outlast JSU's Tigers
Below is an official Georgetown game report.
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Hoyas Fend Off the Tigers in 88-81 Victory
Jayden Epps recorded a career high for the second-consecutive game and led four Hoyas in double figures as the Georgetown men's basketball team defeated the Jackson State University Tigers 88-81 on Saturday afternoon. With the win at Capital One Arena, the Hoyas improve to 4-2 on the season while Jackson State slips to 1-6.
ON THE RECORD
"I'm very, very proud of our men for responding well. We're a little shorthanded today, having Rowan out, hopefully we can get Ish Massoud back, Jayden's had a pretty good hand injury there, Jay Heath didn't practice for the week; so we've been dealing with some bumps and bruises like everybody across the country. I was proud of our guys' resilience once again. Obviously we have some things to clean up defensively on the ball. Rebounding reared its ugly head today, but sometimes you have to do what you do just to land the plane. I'm proud of our late-game execution, we got a stop here and there, it wasn't a defensive portrait but we made the right plays at the right time to come up with a win." - Head Coach Ed Cooley
HOYA NOTES
For the second time in as many games, Epps tallied a career high, this time with 34 points shooting 10-for-18 from the floor and landing 7-of-9 3-pointers. It was the second-straight game Epps has tallied 30+ points and the first time a Hoya has achieved that feat since Austin Freeman did it in 2010 (11/27/2010 - UNC Asheville - 30; 11/30/2010 - vs. No. 9 Missouri - 31). Dontrez Styles added 22 points (9-13 FG) while Jay Heath chipped in 13 and Wayne Bristol Jr. rounded out those in double figures with 11 points.
Supreme Cook and Heath recorded a team-best seven rebounds apiece while Health also paced the offense with nine assists.Georgetown shot 53.7% (29-for-54) for the game and 50% (13-for-26) from downtown. They allowed 41.7% (30-72) shooting from the Tigers and held Jackson State to a 28.6% (6-21) success rate from beyond the arc.The squad put up a season-best six blocks on the day, while JSU managed a pair of rejections. GU committed nine turnovers and forced eight from the Tigers.JSU was able to outrebound the Hoyas, 43-33.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams traded buckets to open the game but Jackson State pulled ahead by as many as four (13-9, 14:08) before the Blue & Gray tallied six unanswered on a triple from Heath and a traditional three-point play from Styles to push the Hoyas ahead 15-13 (12:12).
Georgetown's lead would build to as many as six (30-24, 6:49) but the Tigers would not go away, staging an 8-0 run to pull ahead by two (32-30). A pair of free throws from Wayne Bristol Jr. stopped the run and knotted the game at 32.JSU would continue to pull ahead by a bucket and the Hoyas would retort with two points of their own until an Epps triple put GU ahead 39-38 with 34 seconds remaining in the half. A layup in the waning moments of the frame gave the Tigers the 40-39 advantage at the break.
JSU extended the lead to open the second half but a Heath triple knotted the score up at 42. The game would be tied three more times before a Styles free throw followed by an Epps 3-pointer pushed the Hoyas ahead 58-54 (14:59). However, the Tigers clawed their way back on a 9-4 run to lead 65-62 (11:51).The Hoyas hung around and with 8:11 on the clock, Epps drained a triple to knot the score at 70. On the other end, a defensive stop led to a Heath fastbreak 3-pointer on the left side as the Blue & Gray took the 73-70 lead (7:41).It was a lead the Blue & Gray would not relinquish, holding on for the 88-81 victory at the final whistle.
UP NEXT
The Hoyas return to their downtown home on Wednesday, November 29 when they welcome Merrimack to Capital One Arena for an 8:30 p.m. tipoff. The game will be televised on FS1 with Tom Werme calling the play-by-play and Nick Bahe providing analysis. The radio call of Rich Chvotkin, in his 50th season as the Voice of the Hoyas, can be heard locally on 1580 AM and on the SiriusXM app.
