Wildcats get taken to woodshed

January 20, 2014 - Strolling into Verizon Center ranked the fourth best team in the country, owning a four game winning streak and fist place in the BIG EAST, Villanova had every right to be expect a win against Georgetown. There's something about having nine, 20+ win seasons since 2003, having earned an invite to the NCAA each such campaign that does it.

The Hoyas didn't get that memo, using a monumental first half spurt to handle Villanova 78-58 before a stated crowd of 13,872. The win has catapulted Georgetown to tops in the league. 'Nova falls to second.

Over the course of seven minutes and 20 seconds G'Town - which never trailed during the contest - outscored 'Nova 17-0. Head coach John Thompson III indicated his team's decisive spurt "was the best defensive stretch we've had in a long time".

The win, this season's largest margin of victory in BIG EAST to date, saw VU shoot 27.3% in the first half, 30.4% overall from three point land and 34.1% for the contest. Thompson's team made more than half its shots - a 51.1% overall shooting mark and 50% from beyond the arc

According to head Wildcat Jay Wright, it was the most debilitating run his team has suffered in a while, noting "Most of it was in transition, just kicking the ball ahead going to the rim. You know, we're stepping in trying to get charges, they're getting and-ones, they're getting offensive rebounds. It was turnover, missed shot, long rebounds, go, go. It was impressive. They were very impressive in transition".

Nevertheless the Wildcats (17-2, 4-2) battled back in the second stanza, whittling a onetime 26 point deficit to 12 and finishing with a 42.1% shooting mark for that period. Pressure man to man, full court defense and fast offensive action, producing a trio of three pointers from junior guard Ryan Arcidiacono (team best 16 points), two layups and multiple free throws helped Wright's gang crawl back into the game, but at a price.

"Anytime you are down that kind of deficit, you're trying to press and speed up the game, yeah you're going to get fatigued" said Wright, who also applauded the Hoyas for "maintaining that aggressiveness with that lead. They just did a great job continuing to drive the ball and get to the line and offensive rebound. Even when we were pressing they never god tentative".

Thompson, who was able to get at least nine points from five different players, opposed to Villy doing so with three guys agreed his quality depth helped, noting "We have bodies that are able to come in with no drop off so we can sustain" a high level of play, "which we did today". The benefit in his eyes was internally based, being unsure if it affected 'Nova per se.

Junior guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera paced the game with 17 points and 37 minutes of play for G'Town, performing solidly under Villanova's pressure. Isaac Copeland, a freshman Blue and Grey forward, equaled those scoring numbers, dropping eight in the first half and pulling down six rebounds.

Copeland was key in in the Hoyas's game sealing first stanza run, offensively contributing a dunk, lay up, jumpshot (a pretty shot fake behind the arc to commit his defender, one dribble pull up attempt) and two free throws. Of his performance then, the Raleigh, NC native linked it to stopping Villanova, opining "They always say defense leads to offense so we kept them from scoring baskets and got open shots on our end, so it helped us out. It worked out".

Wright summed of Georgetown "I think you saw the best of them tonight. So give them credit". Thompson hopes Marquette witnesses a similar performance, Saturday in Milwaukee at 230p.

The Wildcats, who Thompson believed "didn't have their best night" are off until Sunday, when Creighton travels to Philadelphia for a 7p tip-off.