Below are observations and quotes from Saturday night's 97-57 Georgetown loss at Xavier.

With 12:25 remaining in the first half, Georgetown, which led briefly in the game, found itself down a manageable 19-16 mark. Victory wasn't a distant hope.

Then the bottom fell out: Nearly four and a half minutes later, the Hoyas suffered a 14-zippo Xavier run, finished the half down 24, never got closer than 15 points in back period play, eventually falling 97-75 to the homestanding Musketeers.

What did head coach Pat Ewing attribute that pivotal, first half scoring deficit that doomed his team?

"We gave them everything. We gave them threes. The things that we talked about in our game plan...we didn't do a good job of taking it away" frankly answered the coach. "They were able to get threes, rolls to the rim. We just didn't do a good job"

Basic shooting numbers bear that out, as Xavier finished at 54.7% overall, 56% on three pointers for the game, 47.4% 45.5% in first half action.

What did Ewing instruct his guys at intermission?

"Try to cut it to ten as quick as we can" he revealed. "We came out scoring but was still giving them baskets. We didn't do a good enough job to cut into the lead".

What was obvious is pressing was embraced by Ewing in the first and second half. In fact, late in the initial stanza his Hoyas did so after a free throw make - rare in basketball.

Ewing indicated the aggressiveness in which he pressed was due to "the way the game was going, the were up a big lead so we were trying to get back in the game".

He was somewhat unhappy with his team's pressing effectiveness: "The only sad part about it is if we don't do a good job on the front of our press, and they get it over the back line, then we usually give up a basket or a three. We're not very good at the back line".

After a season in which the Hoyas have won just a sextet of games (6-24) gone without a BIG East Conference victory (0-19), while also falling in 20 straight games and firmly standing in the league's basement defensively, are the Hoyas still plugged in, holding the rope, competing?

Ewing thinks so, as "Yeah, they're still in the fight, i believe so. We're definitely disappointed in the outcome of our season. This is nowhere near where i expected us to be or the group as a whole expected us to be.

"But it is what it is. All we can do now is get ourselves prepared for the BIG EAST Tournament. it's a new season. And like Kevin Garnett said 'Anything is possible'".

Ewing mentioned pushing on to BIG EAST Tournament competition as a way to turn the page. Makes sense given his team's historic run through last year's event, one that culminated in a league title.

How is he approaching this BET, one of New York City's must-see sporting events yearly?

"First tomorrow, (Sunday), we're off. Gives us a chance to regroup. Gives our trainer time to work on Tim's (Igohefe) anke, get enough refreshments into Dante (Harris who cramped badly vs. Xavier) so he'll be ready for the grind of teh BIG EAST Tournament".

He in fact views the conference confab is "a new season", one in which "You go through the whole regular season to get to this point. But unfortunately it wasn't a great regular season for us...we can still salvage ourselves with a great run through the tournament".

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