It's always interesting to see how a team reacts to a heartbreaking loss. Today's game for the Georgetown Hoyas was that test. In addition, this team has had the reputation of playing down to competition in the last few years. Today, none of that mattered. The Hoyas outworked, outmuscled and outhustled Appalachian State in an 89-60 victory. Run DMV led Georgetown, as it has so often this year. Chris Wright played expertly, notching 12 assists, setting the tone with aggressive play on both offense and defense. Jason Clark and Austin Freeman combined for 29 points to shoulder the scoring load.
Games against lesser competition is always a good time to evaluate younger players. Today, the future looked bright for the Hoyas. Henry Sims continued his renaissance, throwing down vicious dunks and blocking shots hard enough to deserve a finger wag. Nate Lubick had his best game of his young career, contributing 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 decapitation of a poor Appalachian Stater. Vee Sanford and Markel Starks continue to get quality minutes, which will pay dividends when we are in the dog days of the Big East season.
After The Jump, Moses Arrives.
Today's game marked the first time Moses Ayegba would be able to play in collegiate basketball. The 6'9" big man was suspended for the first nine games of the season because he flew on an airplane or something. His Georgetown debut couldn't have been better. First, two students dressed up in full gray beards and prehistoric clothing, locking down the best fans of the decade award already. The crowd cheered his name throughout the game, and he finally entered with the game out of reach. He moved well on the court, added a nifty lay-up and looked smooth knocking down two free throws. For a team that will need as many big men as possible, Hoya fans have to feel pretty good about the Moses era.What I like most about this year's team so far is we step on the gas against inferior competition. In previous years, this game would have been closer throughout the second half. Instead, we came out of halftime and put the game out of reach within 3 minutes. Hollis Thompson bounced back nicely, maintaining his confidence while scoring 11 points. I loved how physical we were today. Every foul meant something, not in an egregious way, but I kept thinking to myself "Damn, these guys are knocking the crap out of Appalachian State." Lubick, Starks, Sims, Sanford and Clark were the main enforcers. That kind of edge is going to be important as the season progresses, because it's been a while since Georgetown wasn't bullied by its Big East brethren.
I am a sucker for chick flicks and cheesy stories, so I thoroughly enjoyed how excited Wright, Freeman and the other starters were when Moses, Ryan Dougherty and Aaron Bowen scored. This team bounced back really nicely from their loss on Thursday, and I continue to be delusionally hopeful about the rest of the season. They have one more tune-up against Loyola (MD) before traveling to Memphis, TN to take on the Memphis Tigers on December 23.