In a tough loss reminiscent of the Ray Allen off-balance heave in the 1996 Big East Final against UConn, Georgetown lost by 2 to West Virginia tonight by a score of 60-58.

We'll have plenty to say about this tomorrow, but this was a solid game that was determined by the best players on the floor. The Hoyas had some phenomenal teamwork, highlighted by three plays that deserve immediate recognition: Greg Monroe leading the break to find Chris Wright for the dunk, Wright's heroic full court sprint to save the ball and feed Austin Freeman for a layup, and Wright feeding Freeman for a 3 with under a minute left - even getting the normally stoic Freeman to show some emotion.

In the end, Georgetown was unable to overcome two things: West Virginia's power on the boards (outrebounded 34-19 and the Mountaineers had 17 offensive boards) and Da'Sean Butler, the tournament's MVP who came through with two last second game winning shots in this tournament.

Georgetown's run through the Big East cemented the fact that they can play with anyone in the country and set the stage for at least a 4 seed and possibly a 3. There are definitely lessons to be learned from this game but here's hoping that it provides a solid sendoff as the Hoyas enter the NCAA Tournament.

Now the real fun begins.

Box Score