LINKS: Hoyas Host UMBC After Visit to USC

Not much more can be said about the Georgetown Hoyas loss to USC on Sunday, but the week continues with Ewing’s squad hosting UMBC on Wednesday at 8:30pm and Syracuse on Saturday (noon). One interesting strategy for engagement that Georgetown has just introduced with their fans is the new “Hoya Lights” app. If it’s half as good as Bug Lights, all will be forgiven, GU.

The Hoyas face UMBC on Wednesday—a team who appears to reflect the mercurial nature of college basketball this season with a 55-82 loss to Longwood, a 98-67 win over American U., and an 87-77 win at Pitt, before a 60-70 loss at Delaware. Based on their season history, the Retrievers are going to put up about 30 three-point attempts. If the Hoyas can’t keep them to at least fewer than 10 threes, there will be trouble.

Here are the links:

Darnell Rogers, UMBC look to topple Georgetown | FLM

5-foot-2 Darnell Rogers [is] believed to be the smallest scholarship player in Division I history.

Wednesday night when UMBC (5-3) travels to Washington, D.C. to play Georgetown (3-4), the Retrievers will look to Rogers for inspiration.

The point guard averages 13 points, 3.9 assists and has made 23 of 25 free throws for the best accuracy (92%) in the America East. Last month, when the Retrievers took a bite out of a big-conference school, 87-77 at Pittsburgh of the ACC, Rogers played a key role with 10 points and eight assists.

Now he and UMBC get a shot at Georgetown of the Big East. The Hoyas have beaten the Retrievers the last two years but might be more vulnerable this time, having lost to lowly Dartmouth.

Perimeter players Dante Harris (14.2 points per game), Aminu Mohammed (13.8) and Kaden Rice (12.7) pace Georgetown. But the Hoyas are thin inside, especially after losing 7-footer Timothy Ighoefe to a hand injury. His absence was apparent in an 80-67 loss Sunday at South Carolina.

Georgetown to Square Off Against UMBC on Wednesday | GUHoyas

Wednesday’s matchup can be seen live on FS1 with Kevin Fitzgerald calling the play-by-play and Donny Marshall providing analysis...

Through seven games, Carey leads the BIG EAST and ranks sixth in the nation with a 95.8 percent efficiency at the free throw line, going 23-for-24 in his opportunities. The Hoya captain also sits in a three-way tie for third in the conference with a 46.9 field goal percentage from behind the arc.

Dante Harris rounded out those in double figures with 13 points on four buckets and a perfect 5-for-5 effort from the free throw line. The sophomore paced the offense with six assists and added another six rebounds.

Harris ranks second among conference competitors with 2.0 steals per game while sitting in a tie for fifth with 33 total assists.

As a team, the Hoyas have pulled down a league second-best 12.57 offensive boards per game.

UMBC Men’s Basketball Looks to Bounce Back at Georgetown on Wednesday | UMBC

UMBC heads to our nation’s capital at 5-3 on the year, having their three-game win streak snapped in a 70-60 loss to Delaware on Sunday. The Retrievers battled from down 15 in the second half to trail by just seven, but the Blue Hens held off the Retrievers.

Three Retrievers hit double figures, led by Keondre Kennedy (Atlanta, Ga.) and Yaw Obeng-Mensah (Toronto, Ontario) with 13 points. Darnell Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Indian Land (SC)/New Mexico JC) added 12 in the loss.

Kennedy leads the team averaging 15.1 ppg, shooting 53 percent from the floor. He is grabbing 4.5 rpg and shooting 46 percent from three.

Rogers is the only other Retriever in double figures at 13.0 ppg and is dishing out a team-best 3.9 apg.

Obeng-Mensah leads the team on the glass, pulling down 5.3 rpg.

Scouting the Hoyas ... Georgetown comes into the contest at 3-4 on the year, most recently falling to South Carolina, 80-67 on Sunday afternoon. The Hoyas trimmed the deficit to just two possessions in the second half, but could not get any closer.

Aminu Mohammed Named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week | GUHoyas

Mohammed nearly averaged a double-double with 16.0 ppg and 9.5 rpg in a 1-1 week for the Blue & Gray.

The freshman shot 52.4 percent (11-21) from the floor and 50.0 percent (2-4) from deep.

He managed five steals in the pair of games.

For the season, Mohammed leads a quartet of Hoyas (3-4) in double figures, averaging 14.3 ppg through the first seven games as well as a squad-best 7.9 rebounds per game.

In all but one game, the freshman has led the Blue & Gray in either points (11/13 Dartmouth; 11/16 American; 11/25 vs. San Diego State) or rebounds (11/19 Siena; 11/30 Longwood; 12/05 at South Carolina).

He has turned in a double-digit scoring performance in all but one game and his career-high 20 vs. San Diego State was the first 20-point game of his career.

He has recorded a pair of double-doubles, which ranks fifth in the BIG EAST behind a quartet of players, who have each recorded three. He is the lone freshman in the league with multiple double-doubles.

His all-around game has his name listed throughout the BIG EAST’s best as he is 15th in scoring (14.3), fourth in rebound average (7.9), 12th in steals per game (1.6) and tied for second in offensive rebounds per game (3.0)

Frank Martin’s Gamecocks bounce back, handle Patrick Ewing’s Hoyas. What we learned | The Herald

Georgetown out-rebounded USC 47-43, but the Gamecocks outscored the Hoyas in the paint 42-30. “The thing that was great about how we played on offense today is that there was an aggression to get the ball in the paint,” Martin said. “The guys in the paint played with aggression, whether we threw them the ball or not” ...

The USC defense appeared much more connected against Georgetown, smothering the Hoyas and creating ugly looks. Georgetown came into the game shooting 43.7% as a team, yet USC held the Hoyas to 22% shooting in the first half and 33% for the game. More importantly, the Gamecocks didn’t wilt in the middle of the second half when the surging Hoyas cut the Gamecocks’ lead to as low as six points. USC led for the entirety of Sunday’s contest.