Hoyas scrap and strap to win over RU

Following is a press release. More coverage is to come soon.

No. 10 Georgetown Comes From Behind to Beat Rutgers, 52-50

WASHINGTON - Freshman forward Otto Porter (Sikeston, Mo./Scott County Central) scored the last six points to bring the Georgetown University men's basketball team's (16-3, 6-2 BIG EAST) back from a five-point deficit to defeat Rutgers (11-9, 3-4 BIG EAST), 52-50, in front of 12,852 fans on Saturday afternoon at Verizon Center.

The Scarlet Knights took a 4-0 lead in the game's opening minutes and extended it to 13-7 when Jerome Seagears made a three-pointer at the 11:07 mark, while the Hoyas struggled to connect from the floor throughout and offensively challenged first half.

A three-pointer from Rutgers guard Eli Carter gave the Scarlet Knights a 50-45 lead with 2:33 to play and seemingly put the game out of reach, but the Hoyas answered

Senior center Henry Sims (Baltimore, Md./Mount St. Joseph) made a free-throw then sophomore forward Nate Lubick (Southborough, Mass./St. Marks) found a streaking Otto Porter for a fast-break lay-up. Porter hit a short jumper with 1:02 left, tying the score at 50-all. After a missed three-pointer from RU's Myles Mack, Porter was fouled and made a pair of free-throws with 8.6 seconds remaining to seal Georgetown's 52-50 win.

Senior guard Jason Clark (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell) scored 11 points - hitting 8-of-10 free throws - and grabbed five rebounds with two steals, while Sims recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, along with two assists and three blocks.

Trailing by five points (25-20) at halftime, the Hoyas fell behind by as many as seven points in the second half, the last on a layup from RU's Derrick Randall with 12:11 to play. GU used a 7-0 run and tied the game for only the third time, 38-all, on a three-pointer from freshman forward Greg Whittington (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills). Whittington scored all seven points in the run, first on a layup and then on a jumper.

Carter put the Scarlet Knights in front, 40-38 before freshman guard Jabril Trawick (Philadelphia, Pa./Abington Friends) made a pair of free throws to even the score at 40. The teams traded the lead back and forth twice over the next three minutes and the Hoyas led 45-53 after Porter free throws with 5:33 left. A 7-0 run by RU, capped by Carter's three, gave the visitors a 50-45 lead and set up the thrilling finish.

Despite a season-low 3-of-23 shooting from the floor in the first half, Georgetown was able to keep the score close, shooting 14-of-18 from the free throw line. After Porter's jumper in the lane at the 9:37 mark, the Blue & Gray's only points for the remainder of the half came from the free throw line. Senior guard Jason Clark (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell) went 6-for-8, while Sims, who had one of the Hoyas' three first half field goals, went a perfect 4-of-4 to lead the way, as GU trailed 25-20 at halftime.

Georgetown shot 29.3 percent from the floor (12-of-41), hit only 21.4 percent of its three-pointers (3-of-14) and hit 69.4 percent of its free throws (25-of-36). The Hoyas held a 36-29 advantage on the boards and handed out eight assists with 14 turnovers.

The Hoyas travel to Pittsburgh, Pa. next Saturday, Jan. 28 when they take on Pittsburgh, with tip-off slated for 4 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPN and locally, fans can tune in to Rich Chvotkin's radio call on SportsTalk 570 AM.