LINKS: Georgetown Slaps Down Seton Hall in Double-OT Win

The Georgetown Hoyas (8-8)—led vocally by James Akinjo, led in energy by Josh LeBlanc, and led in relentlessness by Jessie Govan—beat the Seton Hall Pirates (7-9), 77-71, at home in double-overtime.

There was also some movement in the BIG EAST standings with DePal beating St. John’s and Creighton toppled Marquette.

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Seton Hall suffers crushing double-OT loss to Georgetown | NYPOST

Govan’s 3 put Georgetown up 71-69 with 3:20 left in 2OT, but Sandro Mamukelashvili tied it with a second-chance jumper. Govan twice made 1 of 2 free throws, added a second-chance layup for a 75-71 lead, then hit two more free throws with 10 seconds left to seal it. James Akinjo scored 16 points and Josh LeBlanc had 14 with a career-high 17 boards for Georgetown (18-11, 8-8 Big East Conference), which trailed 28-24 at halftime.

Seton Hall basketball: Powell’s 35 not enough in double-OT loss at Georgetown | APP

In the end, Powell’s cape was not enough as the Pirates (16-12 overall, 7-9 Big East) dropped their third straight game and suffered a crushing setback to their NCAA Tournament hopes. Turnovers (19 of them) were the biggest culprit once again, but in the end the Hall didn’t get enough from its role players. Georgetown (18-11, 8-8) avenged a 16-point loss in New Jersey two weeks ago thanks to star center Jessie Govan (21 points, 12 rebounds).

Georgetown Maintains Tournament Hopes, Defeats Seton Hall in Double Overtime | BIGEASTCOASTBIAS

Jessie Govan, who started just 1-for-11 from the field, finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Josh LeBlanc added 14 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, while James Akinjo notched 16 points. The win is a major boost for the Hoyas’ NCAA Tournament resume.

The Hoyas, now 1.5 games ahead of teams currently ranked 7-10 in the conference, are primed to avoid the Wednesday night games in the conference tournament for the first time since 2015, with a marquee game against Marquette still on their plate. Seton Hall, meanwhile, now faces an uphill battle in securing a bid. The Pirates will host Villanova and Marquette to close out the season, and are in need of another premier win to bolster their chances.

A Command Performance: Georgetown 77, Seton Hall 71 (2OT) | HOYASAXA

Govan got on the scoreboard to open the second half but Powell continued his assault, with the Pirates taking a 34-29 lead thee minutes into the second half. mac McClung and Jagan Mosely helped lead the Hoyas on its best run of the evening, a 10-2 spurt that gave Georgetown a 39-36 lead with 13 minutes to play, but neither side would back down. Greg Malinowski came up big midway in the half with a five point run that maintained the lead, 47-44, but the scoring “yips” continued to bite the Hoyas offensively. Seton Hall pulled ahead 53-49, but freshman James Akinjo responded in a series that may be known as “The Slap”…

Super Sendoff: Govan’s Heroics Propel Hoyas Past Pirates in Bubble Battle | THOMPSONSTOWEL

This win feels like a turning point for Georgetown for numerous reasons. Firstly, the top-ranked offensive team in the Big East won a game with its defense rather than its offense. Ewing’s biggest issue throughout the season was to figure out how to get the Hoyas to consistently bring focus, hustle, and intensity on the defensive end. And that’s exactly what they did last night. Secondly, the Hoyas did not flinch in the face of adversity. Nothing was falling for Georgetown throughout this contest. Jessie Govan even went into halftime scoreless on his senior night (0-7 from the field). Rather than shrink from the moment, Jessie stayed locked in and battled throughout. And his teammates rallied around him.

McClung scores 8 in Hoyas’ 2-OT victory over Seton Hall | HERALDCOURIER

Jessie Govan grabbed 12 rebounds and scored 21 points, including all 11 of Georgetown’s points in the second overtime, and the Hoyas beat Seton Hall 77-71 on Saturday night. Former Gate City High School star Mac McClung finished with eight points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal in the win.

Jessie Govan’s unforgettable senior night helps Hoyas prevail in double overtime | WASHINGTONPOST

Jessie Govan has never been the loudest leader on this Georgetown men’s basketball team. During games, Josh LeBlanc and Mac McClung bring the energy and James Akinjo does the talking. But Govan leads with his play. He powers the Hoyas to victory by maneuvering his 6-foot-10, 255-pound body under the basket and popping out for crucial three-pointers when necessary. On senior night Saturday in Capital One Arena, when the moment demanded it, Govan did just that.

Men’s Basketball Secures Double OT Win Over Seton Hall on Senior Night | GEORGETOWNVOICE

“Tonight was the proudest I’ve ever been of my team,” Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing said. “As a coach, you want the team to take on your personality, well tonight they took on my personality. We fought for everything.” ...

“He did for us what he always does,” Ewing said of LeBlanc’s effort. “He had 14 points, 17 rebounds. That’s a hell of a game.” ...

Govan struggled in particular with no points on 0-of-7 from the field, but he would recover with a strong showing the rest of the way. “To me that was Jessie’s best game of his career,” Ewing said. “His shots weren’t falling. They were doing a lot of different things. There’s been games in the past where he let that affect him and he stopped playing and tonight he didn’t. He just kept persevering. If it wasn’t for his points, his rebounds, and timely blocks, we wouldn’t have won.”