Georgetown shows Boston College how it is done
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by user Leslie Monteiro
The Georgetown Hoyas showed yesterday that they got a heart of a champion by using two attributes in grit and toughness. They used that to survive a very good challenge by the Boston College Eagles as they advanced to the East Rutherford Regional Semifinals They will face the Vanderbilt Commodores on Friday.
After falling behind 30-26 at halftime, the Hoyas stepped up to another gear in the second half from start to finish.
They defended much better. They were able to be in a position to make a free throw or make a three-point play. They just made shots when they had to.
They had an 8-0 run to tie the game at 39 and then they took the game from there when they led 48-46. It was enough to beat the Eagles 62-55 in what was a very entertaining game.
What stood out for them was that they never panicked out there.
It is a credit to coach John Thompson III for leading the way. He has that presence that indicates that everything is going to be okay. This attitude rubs off on the players. This is what great coaching is all about. The coach just knew that his players would find a way to step up and they rewarded his faith.
He also should be credited for coming up with a good game plan that made them figure out Boston College's defense, who did a great job of pressing and frustrating several players especially when they got them into foul problems.
Georgetown received great performances by Roy Hibbert and Patrick Ewing in the second half.
They set the tone by starting an 8-0 run to tie the game at 39 in the middle of the second half. Those two made the big plays whether it's getting the block, going for the loose ball, making shots, executing in the free throw line, passing the ball to the guards, and getting the three-point play.
This is what leadership is all about. There was no way that those two were going to let their team be eliminated early especially with them having high aspirations.
Hibbert, who had 17 points and 12 rebounds, has been called out for not getting the job done when it counts. He can have bad games at the wrong time. He looked out of sync in the first half. He had two fouls in the half.
There was no question that he had to start taking the bull by its horns.
He did just that by jump starting his team to start the second half by scoring the first few points of the game and getting several offensive rebounds. He had 15 points in the second half after scoring 2 points in the first half.
How about Ewing? He was fantastic out there. He not only played good defense, but he did a good job of facilitating the offense by getting the rebounds and passing it to the guards and to the big men. He provided the energy that the Hoyas needed in the second half.
The Big East champs did a good job of wearing Boston College's Jared Dudley in the end. He was a non-factor in the final few minutes which spelled his team's demise.
They were much fresher than their counterpart in the end which is why they won the war of attrition between two physical basketball teams by the score of 37-29 in the rebound department.
Basketball wonks can talk about who scores the most, but in playoff basketball, the team that rebounds the most is the one that is going to go win more often that not. This is what made the Gators as the national champs last year as a result of that.
There is no question that this game will make Thompson's team that much better.
They know what it takes to win these types of games. They know that they need to step up when the situation calls for it. They did just that on both sides of the ball. This team definitely has the mental toughness and it can go a long way for them to go the Final Four.
Of all the teams that have really looked good, there is no question that Hoyas may be the best of all. One can make a case for Kansas, North Carolina, Florida, or Ohio State, but this team is much more deeper and experienced. They play the best defense of all the teams.
With the way the Hoyas and the Tarheels are playing, there is a very good chance that we may see both teams face each other next Sunday at the Continental Airlines Arena.
Texas lost too today so your point is moot. There is a reason why I and many people were overlooking Texas. When has Rick Barnes won when it counts? He is a loser when it comes to postseason games just like Bo Ryan (can't wait to savage him for my Tuesday's column) and Bruce Webber.
It's too bad that you missed the point of this article, FP. Georgetown almost lost this game. They were out of sync. Everyone keep saying that Hibbert can't come up when it counts. Well they did. They showed you something. They showed what champions were all about. Keep overlooking them.