A 17-2 run to start the second spelled the end for Georgetown
Your Georgetown Hoyas (12-4, 3-2) had the spotlight on them today as they hosted the No. 9 UConn Huskies (13-4, 5-1) for an afternoon matinee watched on Fox and by 17,000 fans at Capital One Arena. The bright teal lights proved to be a bit too heavy on the shoulders of this young Georgetown squad as the Hoyas hung with UConn for the first half, but were outrun with a 17-2 swing coming out of halftime that proved insurmountable.
The Georgetown men’s basketball team fell 68-60 to No. 9 UConn, with a poor offensive stretch shortly after halftime the difference between the Huskies and Hoyas.
— The Hoya Sports (@thehoyasports) January 11, 2025
Coming off a road loss to Villanova, Dan Hurley’s UConn squad put the clamps on the Hoyas in the second half, showing a physicality and pressure that prevented entry passes to Sorber and encouraged aimless isolation plays. Georgetown was 8 for 24 (33%) from the field in the second half and started out 0-4 in the first six minutes, with 4 turnovers. Thomas Sorber (9 pts, 10 rebs) had 7 points in the first but was effectively shut down in the second with no field goals.
The two-time champions have had an up-and-down season but they ultimately revealed their pedigree. Georgetown could not match UConn’s physicality today without getting called for a foul. GU was not supposed to win this game, but the 17,000 fans were likely expecting a better effort out of halftime.
The Hoyas did fight back a bit late in the second with a 15-4 run of their own but it was too little, too late. Micah Peavy scored 14 points on five for 12 shooting from the floor before fouling out and Malik Mack scored nine points on three for 12 shooting from the floor one for five from three point land. Jayden Epps played 14 minutes off the bench (3pts, -21 +/-), but did not look to be as mobile as he usually does.
Curtis Williams, Jr., was a bright spot in the game, scoring 15 points on 4-6 from the field, including 3-4 from beyond the ark. Drew Fielder had another rough game with only three points and two rebounds in 20 minutes (-24 +/-).
Georgetown‘s eight points in the paint and the second half was abysmal, but Sorber did have three late assists coming out of the double team. The Hoyas had 9 second-half turnovers (15 game) that were inopportune to say the least.
Alex Karaban was a perfect 4-4 in the second half, including three threes. He led all scorers with 19 points. Solo Ball scored 15 points and Samson Johnson scored 9. UConn scored 22 points off turnovers and 30 points in the paint.
The Hoyas offense has stalled for stretches against higher ranked teams all season. Dealing with pressure and still feeding the post has not been a strong suit. Ed Cooley needs to get Sorber the ball consistently.
It was clear that minutes with a hobbled Epps did not help them today. Georgetown likely needs to lean on its length and defense until the offense finds a rhythm in conference play.
Georgetown heads to Madison Square Garden to face St. John’s on Tuesday. After humbling learning experiences against two of the top BIG EAST teams, Hoyas fans will be looking to see how the team responds.