January 16, 2019 - Last night potential All-American Markus Howard played just a tad over three minutes for Marquette. Being a guy who averaged 28.3 points per game in BIG EAST play, leading the conference doing so, the Golden Eagles sans him would have clipped wings on paper.
Maybe so, but Marquette, who lost Howard early to back issues didn’t read the memo, eventually taking down Georgetown 74-71 before 7,945 Capital One Arena fans.
Did the Hoyas relax, once Howard departed?
“I don’t think we let down” answered Hoya head coach Pat Ewing, afterward. “They played a very good game…They have talented people on that team. Hauser played great. He had 31 points. He picked up the slack”.
That would be the same junior wing, Sam Hauser, who averaged 9.5 ppg in BIG EAST play prior last night’s affair. With Howard absent, MU’s head coach Steve Wojciechowski pressed Hauser into point guard service. Ewing noted of what Hauser provided “He’s good. He’s talented. He can shoot. He can post up. He can put it on the floor…showed he can run the point tonight. He played a great game for them. He played with confidence and shot it with confidence”.
Sam also tied brother Joey Hauser with a team best eight rebounds. Speaking of Joey, a freshman forward, he also played a key role in MU’s victory.
“He did a great job against Jessie. He fought Jessie. He made him work” conceded Ewing of Hauser’s defense against leading Hoya scorer, Jessie Govan. “Jessie needs to work harder. He needs to work harder. We tried to get him the ball. It wasn’t there”.
Govan, fighting second half foul trouble, logged just 14 points, where previously he averaged nearly 26.
Marquette, which shot 47.4% overall and 35% on three pointers, trailed by three at intermission, seven after freshman G’Town guard Mac McClung’s free throw with 17:01 in the second half. MU then went on a 14-point scoring advantage, flipping their deficit into a seven point scoring advantage after Sam Hauser’s three point make around seven and a half minutes later.
Ewing’s guys tied the score with the clock reading 7:48, after a Govan three pointer. What did he tell his group?
“We gotta lock it up. Gotta pick it up defensively and offensively” recalled the coach. “Have to set screens, rebound, run. And tighten up our defense”.
That they did, though bad decisions ultimately doomed Ewing’s team, one that shot 42.3% from the field and an impressive 55.6% beyond the arc; twice within the last forty-six seconds, down a point, freshman guard James Akinjo forced the ball into the paint. Both times his shot attempts were officially credited as blocked.
Said Ewing “We had our opportunities. Had our opportunities at the end. But we just didn’t play smart”. Outside of those plays, and likely his 1-10 shooting, was the coach happy with Akinjo’s eight to one turnover ratio and/or the young lead guard’s status as being top assist guy?
“I’m disappointed that we lost and he didn’t make the right play at the end” stated the coach.
McClung did receive praise. Regarding a 24-point, four rebound performance, Ewing remarked of McClung “He had it rolling. He had it going. He was able to…get the ball and go downhill, make his shots”.
Immediately returning to his common theme, Ewing followed “We just didn’t play smart enough at the right time. Or share the ball at the right time”.
Georgetown (12-6 overall, 2-3 in the BIG EAST), which received an inspired 12 points from senior forward Kaleb Johnson, next gets a chance to right things next Monday, when Creighton comes to town for an 8:30p EST tip-off.
Marquette, stout sophomore center Theo John (14 points, six rebounds) and versatile junior wing Sacr Anim (10 points) host Providence Sunday. Game time is 11a EST.
