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I'm in Mexico relaxing and everyone else who would otherwise post a recap is doing their nails, so here's the official recap of Georgetown's riveting win over the Colgate Red Raiders courtesy of Georgetown's Sports Information Director Mex Carey!
Georgetown Holds Off Colgate, 61-55, at Verizon Center Saturday Afternoon
WASHINGTON - Georgetown led by as many as 14 points in the second half but saw the lead whittled down to four points late in the game, but the Hoyas hit 8-of-10 free throws in the final three minutes and were able to hold off a pesky Colgate team, 61-55, at Verizon Center Saturday afternoon.
Senior forward Nate Lubick (Southborough, Mass./St. Marks) scored a season-high 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Hoyas, while junior center Joshua Smith (Kent, Wash./Kentwood/UCLA) added 12 points and five rebounds and junior forward Mikael Hopkins (Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha) added eight points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Senior guard Markel Starks (Accokeek, Md./Georgetown Prep) scored 12 points and had five assists, 10 of his points coming in the second half, including six from the free throw line.
Starks and sophomore guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central/Oak Hill), who had combined to average 31.8 points per game, scored only 13 points and hit only 4-of-21 field goals. Starks finished with 10 points and five assists, while Smith-Rivera scored three points and had seven rebounds.
The Hoyas led by six points, 21-15, and used a 13-6 spurt over the opening 2:57 of the second half to push the lead to 13 points, on a conventional three-point play from Smith. The teams traded baskets back and forth over the next four minutes and GU took its biggest lead, 41-27, on a three-point play from junior forward Jabril Trawick (Philadelphia, Pa./Abington Friends) at the 13:54 mark.
Colgate, however, chipped away and narrowed the gap to five points on three occasions, including the 2:32 mark when Murphy Burnatowski was fouled taking a three-pointer and hit all three shots to cut the lead to 55-50.
Georgetown led by only six points at the break (31-25) despite taking an early 10-0 lead and holding the Red Raiders without a basket for the first nine minutes of the game until Austin Tillotson hit a three-pointer at the 11:00 mark. The Hoyas went to the paint for their first 10 points, with layups from Smith (twice), Lubick, Starks and Hopkins giving GU the early lead.
Three-straight three-pointers - all from Tillotson - pulled Colgate to within 13-9 at the 6:46 mark, but a dunk and free throw from Hopkins and a jumper from senior guard Aaron Bowen (Jacksonville, Fla./QEA [N.C.]) pushed the lead back to nine points, 18-9.
Georgetown shot only 37.5 percent from the floor (21-of-56) and hit only 1-of-15 three-point goal attempts (6.7 percent).
Georgetown takes 10 days off as the 2013 fall semester comes to a close and final exams begin next week (the last day of classes was Friday). The Hoyas return to the court on Tuesday, Dec. 17, hosting Elon. The game will be shown live on CBS Sports Network, with Dave Ryan and Pete Gillen calling the action. It can be heard locally on ESPN 980 AM.
