LINKS: Hoyas Rebound to Win Against Providence

The Georgetown Hoyas came back to beat the Providence Friars, 73-72, at home on national TV on Saturday afternoon. Chudier Bile led in points (19) and rebounds (9).

However, in a season where we are trying to look past some of the losses, fans should probably not get overly excited about wins. It’s best to try to remain even-keeled. Many have said that by blowing a 15-point lead was Ed Cooley stole a page from Patrick Ewing. Others have noted that the new BIG EAST is built around games like these with big swings becoming more commonplace. Tough referee calls, big late game shots, and missed free throws are as much a part of the game as the ball and basket. It is undoubtedly nice to be on the winning side for once.

If we are analyzing losses to find growth, we should maybe look at the wins the same way. With a slow start and shooting only 26-64 from the floor (6-24 3PT), the Hoyas played far from perfect basketball in their un-pause debut. But turnover issue didn’t materialize and the energy and effort was there.

Here are some key stats:

1. Rebounds - Georgetown won the rebounding battle 47-33, with the rebound totals as 30-23 on defense and 17-10 on offense. In the second half, Georgetown had 26 rebounds and Providence had only 16 (11-6 offensive).
2. Free throws - In the second half, the Hoyas were 10-13 from the charity stripe while Providence was only 3-4. In the first the free-throw comparison was 5-7 for PC and 5-6 for GU. Chudier Bile was 3-4 in the first and 7-8 in the second for free throws. His attack set the tone for the comeback but his success shooting foul shots helped keep pace when the Hoyas were putting up bricks.
3. Second Half Shooting - Shooting 11-31 FGs (3-10 3PT) in the second half, Georgetown has another tough time scoring in the second half. Whether their legs are tired, the players don’t see the hoop as well, or the rim is busted, the Hoyas have not shot well at home in the second periods. Jahvon Blair was 1-5 (1-3 3PT), Jamorko Pickett was 1-6 (0-2 3PT), and Bile was 2-7 (1-2 3PT) for field goals in the second half. Don Carey was 2-4 and Dante Harris was 2-3, while centers Qudus Wahab (1-2) and Timothy Ighoefe (2-4) were a little better from the field. The fight down the stretch looked improved, but competitive teams gotta hit buckets to win.
4. Assists - Georgetown had 16 assists (7 turnovers) with Blair (6), Pickett (4), and Harris (5) leading the way in dimes, and Bile accounting for one.

In his post-game press conference, Chudier Bile referenced a team meeting that helped them focus. One might assume that the team read about the goals and hopes from this humble blog contributor and prepared a plan with more urgency.

Here are the links:

Georgetown Comes Back for 73-72 Victory over Providence - Georgetown University Athletics | GUHOYAS

“It was a great win for us. That’s one of the things I talked about with my guys, that we showed some growth today. We always talk about basketball as a game of runs. They jumped on us early, we went down 15. We fought back, cut it to four, but we didn’t give up there. We took the lead, they took the lead. It was nip-and-tuck … We just kept on fighting, kept on persevering and then was able to come away with the win. We showed a lot of growth today.” - Head Coach Patrick Ewing on the comeback victory

“It feels good. I am happy that we got the win … I feel that I am starting to get more comfortable with the system and knowing where I am going to attack and get my shots. It felt good to get this win for sure, to get back on the winning side.” - Georgetown graduate transfer Chudier Bile on his role in the win HOYA HIGHLIGHTS Bile led the Hoyas with a season-high 18 points off the bench, including going 10-of-12 from the free throw line, and also grabbed a game-best nine rebounds.

Back in action at last, Georgetown holds off Providence to snap its five-game skid | WASHINGTONPOST

“Being locked down and shut down, it’s rough,” Ewing said. “Then when we were finally able to come back, it was like we were moving in quicksand. That’s how we started the game. I’m very happy with how the guys reacted. They fought their way out of it, dug their way out of that quicksand. We showed some growth today. . . . We just kept on fighting, kept on persevering, and then were able to come away with the win.”

Reserve guard [?] Chudier Bile led Georgetown (4-8, 2-5 Big East) with season highs of 19 points and nine rebounds, injecting some life into a struggling offense in the first half. He helped whittle the Friars’ 29-14 lead to 42-38 at halftime and then was rewarded by starting the second half. His three-pointer with 18:32 remaining gave the Hoyas their first lead, 43-42.

“I said, ‘This is what I expected from you when I got you, to do things like this,’ ” Ewing said of Bile, a graduate transfer from Northwestern State. “He’s that type of athlete. I told him, ‘Hopefully this won’t be the first or last time I see this out of you.’ ”

Quarantine Comeback: At Long Last, Hoyas Win - Thompson’s Towel | THOMPSONSTOWEL

Despite the rough start, the Hoyas fared impressively well the rest of the first half. Shots started falling, and Chudier Bile provided a boost off the bench, with 7 points in the first half. Jamorko Pickett led first-half scoring for the Hoyas with 10 points while AJ Reeves dropped 22 points in the first half alone for Providence. Most importantly, Georgetown ended the first half with only 3 turnovers. Despite the Hoyas’ cold shooting, they somehow ended the half only trailing 42-38, showing lots of heart.

Georgetown came out of the locker room ready to play. The Hoyas scored the first five points of the second half, giving them their first lead of the game. As the half progressed, many different players stepped up. A large reason for this Georgetown victory was due to the contributions of everyone who played; the Hoyas had 28 bench points compared to the Friars’ 12. Despite coming off the bench, Bile led the Hoyas in scoring with 19 points.

Chudier Bile helps Georgetown slip past Providence | NORTHWESTGEORGIANEWS

It was the Hoyas’ first game since Jan. 9 after four games had been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. Qudus Wahab hit a go-ahead inside jumper from the baseline with 1:16 left to give Georgetown the lead. The Hoyas survived only after Duke’s second free-throw attempt rimmed out and Wahab secured the rebound. Jamorko Pickett had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists for Georgetown (4-8 overall, 2-5 Big East), which snapped a five-game losing skid. Donald Carey added 10 points, including a straight-away 3-pointer and a layup that provided a 67-65 lead with four minutes left.

Georgetown 73, Providence 72: Friars squander early lead, fall | PROVIDENCEJOURNAL

“It wasn’t the free throw that lost the game,” Providence coach Ed Cooley said. “I thought we were soft on the glass. I thought they had more urgency to the ball. “I thought we were incredibly soft as a team today, from the head coach to the players who didn’t get into the game” ...

The Hoyas won the rebounding battle, 47-33, and outscored Providence on second chances by a 13-9 margin. Georgetown shot just 35.5% in the second half but grabbed 11 offensive boards, as the Friars couldn’t follow some decent initial defense by finishing possessions. Providence entered allowing opponents to grab 29.0% of their misses — that number swelled to 42.5% against the Hoyas.

“Man, did it rear its ugly head today — 47-33, 17 offensive rebounds,” Cooley said. “That should be the stat, end of your columns, end of your sports talk shows. Friars lose.”

PC coughs up big lead, can’t finish in loss at Georgetown | WPRI

The PC Friars jumped out to 15-point lead midway through the first half in Saturday afternoon’s game at Georgetown. But mental lapses on the defensive end for the remainder of the half allowed the Hoyas back in it and the final 20 minutes was a seesaw affair.

With 1.5 seconds left and PC down by two, David Duke was fouled shooting a jumper. The second leading scorer in the Big East, who struggled the entire day and scored only four points on 11 shots to that point, made the first free throw. On the second attempt, the ball rimmed out. Providence lost 73-72 in a game against a Hoyas squad that hadn’t played since Jan. 9 and hadn’t won since Dec. 13.

Men’s basketball triumphs in a thriller against Providence - The Georgetown Voice | GEORGETOWNVOICE

Sophomore Timothy Ighoefe curiously got the start over Wahab as the Friars got off to a rapid 10-0 run to start the game. The Hoyas missed their first five field goals, but Wahab would soon check in and get on the board first. Georgetown’s defense was picked apart early, but they successfully cut down on the costly turnovers that have plagued them throughout the season, ultimately ending the half with four.

“We’ve been in these close games all year,” said graduate student Donald Carey Jr. “We just didn’t have as many turnovers as we usually do.” After the Hoyas’ slow start, freshman guard Dante Harris sparked the offense as he put away a nice breakaway layup assisted by Pickett. Harris would follow that up with another layup as he used his quickness to drive to the basket.

Men’s Basketball Falls Short to Georgetown, 73-72 - Providence College Athletics | FRIARS

The Hoyas retook the lead, 67-65, after Donald Carey contributed back-to-back baskets. The Friars used a timeout with 3:58 to play. With 2:16 remaining, the Friars took a 69-68 lead after baskets by Greg Gantt (Fayetteville, N.C.) and Duke. The Friars then trailed by one point, 70-69, when Georgetown’s Qudus Wahab made a jumper at the 1:16 mark. Still trailing, the Friars took a timeout with 0:16 to play. The Hoyas’ Jahvon Blair extended the lead to 72-69 from the free throw line.

A layup by Breed narrowed the gap to one with 0:07 remaining. The Friars were behind by two entering their final offensive possession. Duke was fouled with under two seconds left, but only converted one shot from the free throw line. Providence finished 28-66 (42.4%) from the field, 8-21 (38.1%) from three, and 8-11 (72.7%) from the free throw line. Georgetown finished 26-64 (40.6%) from the field, 6-23 (26.1%) from three, and 15-19 (78.9%) from the free throw line.

Georgetown escapes in defeat of Providence | BIGEASTCOASTBIAS

Saturday’s contest started quite alright for the Friars. They jumped out to a 9-0 lead and were up by as many as 15 points in the first half. A.J. Reeves went berserk, going for 22 points and needed just 12 shots to get there. He made four 3-pointers in the first half, accounting for exactly half of his eight buckets made in the first half. No other Friar was in double figures, so to say they were riding the coattails of Reeves is an understatement. But things began to unravel towards the end of the first half.

While Providence dominated, Georgetown made something of it towards the end. The Hoyas went on a 24-13 run over the final 9:16 of the half to cut the deficit to just four points. They would then rip the lead away from PC out of the gate with a 5-0 run in the first minute and a half or so. The teams exchanged blows for the entirety o the half, with neither side going up by more than five.