Credit where credit is due. A pleasantly surprising result came Saturday afternoon for the Georgetown Hoyas (10-10, 2-7) as they completed a historic comeback by defeating the Providence Friars (9-11, 2-7) by a score of 81-78 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. After trailing by as many as 21 points early in the second half, Georgetown used solid defense and an offensive explosion to secure their second win of the conference season.
Many loyal Georgetown fans had written off Ed Cooley’s squad before the second half started (with a 43-25 deficit), but this second half performance showed a resilience that had been missing for far too long. Hopefully they can capitalize on this momentum one game at a time.
The first twenty minutes offered little reason to cheer for Hoyas fans. Providence jumped out to a 43-25 halftime lead, fueled by a 50% shooting performance from the field and a perfect 9-for-9 mark from the free throw line. Georgetown struggled to find any rhythm, shooting a dismal 8% from beyond the arc in the first half.
However, in the second half there was a complete turnaround. Georgetown scored 56 points in the final period, shooting an impressive 68% from the floor and 62% from three-point range
The comeback was led by KJ Lewis, who finished with a game-high 26 points. Lewis was nearly perfect in the second half, scoring 21 of his points while shooting 8-of-11 from the floor.
- KJ Lewis: 26 PTS, 5 REB, 2 STL.
- Vincent Iwuchukwu: 16 PTS, 4 REB, 2-2 3FG off the bench.
- Malik Mack: 13 PTS, 3 AST, 35 MIN.
- Kayvaun Mulready: 7 PTS, 3 STL and a critical block in the final seconds.
Hoyas fans have heard a lot about the depth of this roster, and the bench proved vital, beating the Providence reserves 28-14.
Iwuchukwu provided a huge spark, finishing with a team-high +/- +17 and recording a crucial steal and dunk to start the second half surge.
The defining moment came during a 12-0 Georgetown run that erased Friar’s lead. With 2:55 to go, Caleb Williams hit a 3-pointer to give Georgetown its first lead since the opening minutes, making the score 72-71.
The final minute was a battle with a lot at stake. After KJ Lewis drained a step-back three to extend the lead to 81-75 with 27 seconds left, Providence’s Stefan Veels responded with a dunk and a free throw. On the final possession, Kayvaun Mulready sealed the victory by blocking Jaylin Sellers’ three-point attempt as time expired.
While Georgetown (10-10, 2-7 BE) remains cautious about their position in a competitive BIG EAST, this win marks a major milestone in the Cooley era: his first victory over Amica.
Furthermore, in the second half, Hoyas showed the ability to withstand a hostile environment and a significant deficit, qualities that have been absent in recent years. Perhaps there is a little more to this team than what fans have seen recently.
The Hoyas will look to bring this momentum back to Washington, DC as they continue their climb out of the basement of the conference standings with a home game against DePaul on Wednesday night (8:30 PM on FS1).
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