Hoyas shoot 3-20 from three point range and still win by 24

Section 104

Section 104

— 3 min read
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Thankfully, since we're running out of useful things to even say at this point, Georgetown's Monday night tilt against UMBC was their final "tune-up" game against teams ranked 250+ in KenPom before visits to West Virginia and Syracuse (the Hoyas do have one final game against Coppin State in late December after the conference season kicks off). Once again, the Hoyas were sloppy early with limited offensive flow and mediocre defense, but also once again, the Hoyas righted the ship and used their massive talent advantage and good intensity on defense to overwhelm a bad opponent and win in a blowout. It's been rare in recent seasons that the Hoyas come out of the soft portion of their non-conference schedule essentially unscathed, either due to an actual loss or a very close win against a bad opponent. But this year, each of Georgetown's early season wins could be classified as "comfortable." Not all were pretty and not all were double digit wins, but all were ultimately comfortable.

Monday, the Hoyas once again used defense to control the game. UMBC lacked the firepower to really contend with the Hoyas, but Georgetown forced 21 turnovers (leading to 18 points) and held UMBC to 39% shooting and 22% shooting from three point range. If the Hoyas can bring this level of consistent defensive intensity to conference play, they'll at least give themselves a chance most nights. That's more than can be said about the last several seasons, especially on the defensive end.

Offensively, the Hoyas were less crisp, especially from deep where they shot (as the headline points out) 3-20, including some really bad misses up and down the roster. The Hoyas still managed to shoot almost 50% from the field overall and dominated in the paint, with a 52-36 advantage down low, led by Thomas Sorber who went 6-7 from the field. They also added 22 free throw attempts, making 17 from the stripe. Despite extremely cold three point shooting and some trademark slow and sloppy possessions on offense, the Hoyas found ways to keep a ton of pressure on the UMBC defense, using their size and talent advantage to get to the hoop.

The big area the Hoyas need to clean up going into the (much) more difficult section of their schedule is the first 5-10 minutes of the game. The Hoyas have been slow out of the gate in pretty much all of their games thus far and against good competition, this will put them in a hole they can climb out of, especially on the road. They've got to find a way to settle into the game more quickly to give themselves a chance to win games against good teams, starting with WVU on Friday.

Player notes:

  • Thomas Sorber absolutely dominated this game. He had 23 points on 6-7 shooting and was 11-12 from the line. His defense was once again stellar with three blocks and really strong on-ball defense. He is simply one of the best players Georgetown has had in a long time.
  • Caleb Williams once again had a really nice game. He plays really smart and is almost always in the right spots on the floor. His offensive game was especially on display in this game, getting deep and hitting some nice midrange shots.
  • Jordan Burks is emerging as a fan favorite in Section 104. His defense and energy are outstanding, he's a highlight reel in transition, and his vibes are outstanding. He's having fun out there in a way we haven't seen in a Georgetown uniform in a long time.
  • Micah Peavy and Jayden Epps both had quieter games for them but combined for 9 assists and Peavy added 5 rebounds. Winning a game by 24 points when these guys combine for 23 points is a great sign as is their willingness to contribute in ways other than scoring.
  • Just to underline the previous point, Peavy only shot 3-11, including 0-3 from 3, but still got 34 minutes of run because despite being, as noted by the boys, ice cold, he contributed 5 boards (2 offensive), 5 assists, and 4 steals. Being useful when your shot isn't falling is the kind of veteran example-setting that this team has lacked in the past and will be very important during the conference schedule.
  • There are some concerns among the boys about Malik Mack's defense and specifically size when conference play starts, but he's shown that he can compete offensively. He's decisive, has good handles, and can score in a variety of ways. He also added 5 assists on Monday.

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