View from the Student Section: A Win is a Win

Patrick Ewing’s Hoyas continued their undefeated start to the season by defeating Maine by a score of 76-55. While some could conclude that Georgetown dominated throughout by looking at the score, this was hardly true as play was rather uninspiring for a fair amount of the contest. Much like fans saw at the Maryland-Eastern Shore game, the Hoyas failed to truly impose their will on the Black Bears. I could drone on and on, but the fact of the matter is that Georgetown is 5-0 and still has three more “tune-up” games to work on their nagging issues before a mid-December clash with Syracuse.

For the second straight home game, Kaleb Johnson (18 points) led the Hoyas offensively. Johnson’s development on the offensive end continues to be one of the biggest reasons for excitement. Jessie Govan and Marcus Derrickson scored 16 and 12 points respectively, while Jahvon Blair (11 points) and Jonathan Mulmore (10 points) rounded out Georgetown’s five double-digit scorers.

Johnson again takes home Game MVP honors. His 7 made free throws, which bumped his FT% up to 81.2% on the year, were a welcome sight. Over his first two seasons on the Hilltop, Johnson shot just 51.6% from the line; his improvement there this year is yet another testament to his overall growth as a scorer. Time will tell if he can consistently put points up for the Hoyas, but returns continue to be promising.

I’m handing out my 814Hoya MVP to Jahvon Blair for being a sparkplug midway through the second half after Georgetown let Maine cut the deficit to as little as 10 points. Blair’s 8 points during a 17-6 run helped eliminate any upset hopes that the Black Bears clung to and ultimately put the game away. Last night’s game represented a bounce-back effort for him on the offensive end after shooting 3-10 from the field against UMES and 2-6 at Richmond.

The decision for Play of the Game was a bit tougher than it was for the UMES game. I ultimately narrowed it down plays by UMES winner Jonathan Mulmore and Jessie Govan, but decided to give the nod to Govan for his steal and transition slam towards the beginning of the second half. Mulmore’s needle-threading pass to Kaleb Johnson was an electric way to start the game, but the sheer rarity of seeing a big man steal a ball on the perimeter and have the athleticism to score in transition is what sets Govan’s effort apart.

Maine’s redheaded forward Andrew Fleming, who struggled all night long, was the Target of the Game. I couldn’t always make out what people were shouting out based on where I was sitting, but he was hearing it from the student section all game long. This, combined with his 3-11 shooting performance and a loud, repeating “ANDREW!” chant when he exited the game for the final time made it a night to forget for Fleming.

814Hoya’s Game Facts

· Jonathan Mulmore has now scored in double figures in three straight games. Before this current streak, his career high as a Hoya was 9 points (2016 vs. USC Upstate).

· After taking 3 three-pointers on Tuesday, Kaleb Johnson has already taken more threes this year (14) than in his entire freshman (13) or sophomore (12) years.

· Jessie Govan scored in double figures again to make it five times in five games this year. He’s scored double digits five times in a row one other time since he’s been on the Hilltop: over a stretch against Elon, La Salle, Syracuse, UNC Greensboro, and Marquette last year.

Georgetown continues its daunting nonconference slate at The Vault on Sunday night against winless Coppin State. Former Maryland standout and NBA player Juan Dixon is in his first year as the coach of the Eagles, who travel to the Midwest on Friday to take on Ohio University before finishing their last of eight consecutive road games against the Hoyas.