Memories of Pat Ewing, Jr. swatting Da’Sean Butler’s drive from the left baseline a few years ago are now forgotten. Butler’s Mountaineers topped Georgetown on a grander scale last night. West Virginia University capped off a tremendous tournament to win the Big East championship for the first time since their inception into conference fifteen years ago. The Mountaineers halted the Hoyas with one final maneuver by Butler in the waning six seconds of the Saturday’s final at Madison Square Garden. Butler, a familiar hero for Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers, nailed a shot with 4.2 seconds left to give third-seeded WVU their first Big East conference crown. The 60-58 West Virginia win gives the Mountaineers a chance to snag a number one seed in the NCAA tournament during Selection Sunday. The Mountaineers, winners of six straight games, have 18 top 100 wins.
The Mountaineers are comprised of several metro NY area players. Newark native, Butler, drained all five of his free throws and finished with a 20 point night. Devin Ebanks, from Queens, grabbed nine rebounds but only mustered two measly points. Madison Square Garden was close to their home, but they failed to take charge from the tipoff against Georgetown. WVU took nearly six minutes to notch a field goal in the opening period. The abysmal start was salvaged by a solid first half from Wellington Smith. The 6’7” senior had 11 points and pulled down ten rebounds. He scored nine first half baskets to help the Mountaineers overcome a pair of turnovers and missed free throws. The Mountaineers missed four shots on their first seven possessions. The only one of the top four seeds to advance in the conference, WVU recovered to carry a four point lead into the locker room at the break.
Georgetown was led by junior guard, Chris Wright. Wright and Butler logged forty minutes for their respective teams, were perfect from the charity stripe and both scored 20 points. The 23-10 Hoyas shot 25% from the arc. Wright missed all five of his 3-point attempts but redeemed himself in the paint during the fourth period. Austin Freeman and Greg Monroe also tallied double digits in points for John Thompson III’s Hoyas. West Virginia needed Butler’s heroics after blowing a nine point lead in the second half. Freeman hit a trey from the wing with 51 seconds to tie the game before Wright inexplicably fouled WVU guard, Joe Mazzulla, near midcourt. Mazzulla broke the tie by swishing both shots from the line. Wright’s mad dash for a layup knotted the game at 58-58 with 17 ticks remaining in regulation. WVU called a timeout and designed a scheme to put the ball in the hands of their premier playmaker, Butler. The tournament MVP threw up a heave that bounced off the rim into the basket for the deciding points. Wright had one more opportunity to give Georgetown an eighth Big East crown, but his length-of-the-court drive fell short. The Hoyas are guaranteed a higher seed in the NCAA’s than the one afforded in the conference tournament. Saturday’s championship was a proud prevailing moment for the Mountaineers. WVU has done enough to prove they are darlings of the Big East and they deserve consideration for a number one seed. I still think the selection committee chooses Syracuse, despite Onuaku’s injury. Neither WVU nor Syracuse is a lock, however. We’ll just have to wait until tonight’s announcement.
Parting Points: Congrats to Siena for another MAAC title.
Here’s hoping OSU defeats Minnesota and lands a number one seed in the tourney.
Showing posts with label Georgetown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Georgetown. Show all posts
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
March Madness in Morgantown
March is finally here. Set the madness in motion. The menacing Mountaineers pounded Georgetown 81-68 in the season’s final home game in Morgantown Monday night. WVU senior, Da’Sean Butler, posted 22 points in the hammering of the 19th ranked Hoyas. The university’s third leading scorer behind Jerry West and Rod Hundley also holds the school’s record with 100 games scoring in double figures. West Virginia’s emphatic thumping of their Big East rival clinches them a double bye into the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Georgetown’s free fall continued. The Hoyas trailed by as many as 27 points in the early second half before losing their fourth game in five tries.
Number ten West Virginia honored three of their senior players before 13,211 fans Monday (Butler, Wellington Smith and Cam Payne). The Mountaineers tallied 24 points by forcing 20 Georgetown turnovers. The Hoyas committed 12 turnovers in the first half. The home team had nine the entire game. The Georgetown giveaways resulted in a crushing 43-26 halftime lead for Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers. Georgetown entered Monday’s contest without leading scorer, Austin Freeman. Hollis Thompson replaced Freeman, but was held to three points. Greg Monroe collected 22 points and nine rebounds and Chris Wright added 21 and 7 assists for the Hoyas. The visitors shot 67% from the charity stripe. Monroe went 6-of-9 on free throws attempts, hitting the rim and falling short on three near misses. Georgetown outshot WVU from the field and from downtown, but the Mountaineers broke the game open during the second half. West Virginia sailed ahead so far the Hoyas were playing catch-up the entire night. The Mountaineers’ up-tempo transition offense and tenacious defense produced enough pressure to stymie any Hoya chances.
Kevin Jones notched six points to push the home team’s lead to 53-26 in the second half. Jones finished with 14 points and Devin Ebanks turned in 15 for 23-6 WVU. The helpless Hoyas had four giveaways in the first three minutes of the second half. Wright pounded in 10 of his 21 points during the span as the Mountaineers went without a field goal for five minutes. The hosts still held a comfortable lead until the game’s final five minutes. Georgetown used runs of 9-0 and 8-0 to whittle the deficit to eleven points with less than seven minutes remaining. West Virginia did not sleep on their advantageous lead. A few bad Georgetown turnovers ended in crucial conversions on West Virginia’s end in the closing minutes. Butler helped pushed the margin back to double digits with an uncontested layup and a pair of free throws with three and a half minutes left. The Mountaineer lead never fell below double digits from that point on. WVU finished with a 12-2 home record this season. Glory-less Georgetown is 6-5 in road games. The Mountaineers currently sit in third place in the conference standings. They visit Villanova Saturday for the season finale. Some writers have the Mountaineers tagged as darkhorse title contenders in the NCAA tournament. It’s true the massive Mountaineer front line is explosive. WVU can punish and overwhelm most teams. They have been ranked high all year long but are also prone to giving up too many points early. WVU won’t have a lengthy tournament stay if they dig themselves a hole against top opponents.
Parting Points: I am very happy for Syracuse landing the number one ranking this week. However, as Jayhawks fan, I am disappointed Kansas dropped out of the top spot.
“Tomorrow never knows what it doesn’t know too soon”- Oasis’ “Morning Glory”
Number ten West Virginia honored three of their senior players before 13,211 fans Monday (Butler, Wellington Smith and Cam Payne). The Mountaineers tallied 24 points by forcing 20 Georgetown turnovers. The Hoyas committed 12 turnovers in the first half. The home team had nine the entire game. The Georgetown giveaways resulted in a crushing 43-26 halftime lead for Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers. Georgetown entered Monday’s contest without leading scorer, Austin Freeman. Hollis Thompson replaced Freeman, but was held to three points. Greg Monroe collected 22 points and nine rebounds and Chris Wright added 21 and 7 assists for the Hoyas. The visitors shot 67% from the charity stripe. Monroe went 6-of-9 on free throws attempts, hitting the rim and falling short on three near misses. Georgetown outshot WVU from the field and from downtown, but the Mountaineers broke the game open during the second half. West Virginia sailed ahead so far the Hoyas were playing catch-up the entire night. The Mountaineers’ up-tempo transition offense and tenacious defense produced enough pressure to stymie any Hoya chances.
Kevin Jones notched six points to push the home team’s lead to 53-26 in the second half. Jones finished with 14 points and Devin Ebanks turned in 15 for 23-6 WVU. The helpless Hoyas had four giveaways in the first three minutes of the second half. Wright pounded in 10 of his 21 points during the span as the Mountaineers went without a field goal for five minutes. The hosts still held a comfortable lead until the game’s final five minutes. Georgetown used runs of 9-0 and 8-0 to whittle the deficit to eleven points with less than seven minutes remaining. West Virginia did not sleep on their advantageous lead. A few bad Georgetown turnovers ended in crucial conversions on West Virginia’s end in the closing minutes. Butler helped pushed the margin back to double digits with an uncontested layup and a pair of free throws with three and a half minutes left. The Mountaineer lead never fell below double digits from that point on. WVU finished with a 12-2 home record this season. Glory-less Georgetown is 6-5 in road games. The Mountaineers currently sit in third place in the conference standings. They visit Villanova Saturday for the season finale. Some writers have the Mountaineers tagged as darkhorse title contenders in the NCAA tournament. It’s true the massive Mountaineer front line is explosive. WVU can punish and overwhelm most teams. They have been ranked high all year long but are also prone to giving up too many points early. WVU won’t have a lengthy tournament stay if they dig themselves a hole against top opponents.
Parting Points: I am very happy for Syracuse landing the number one ranking this week. However, as Jayhawks fan, I am disappointed Kansas dropped out of the top spot.
“Tomorrow never knows what it doesn’t know too soon”- Oasis’ “Morning Glory”
Friday, February 19, 2010
Syracuse Survives Scare
Syracuse scraped together a 75-71 win in Washington after blowing most of a 23 point halftime lead against Georgetown. The fifth ranked Orange were harassed by the Hoyas in the second half, but held on to improve their road record to 7-0 this season. Andy Rautins scored a season high 26 points against the tenth ranked Big East opponent. Rautins connected from beyond the arc with less than eight minutes in the game before Georgetown staged a 10-0 run to comeback and close within a basket of tying the game. The Hoyas had a chance to take the lead at 71-70 with a minute remaining, but Jason Clark’s shot trickled off the rim. Syracuse maintained their status of never trailing during the contest and staved off a furious rally on the road to win their 25th game. The Orange also clinched a first round bye in the upcoming Big East tournament.
Both teams were coming off surprising Sunday losses to unranked opponents. The Orange were stunned by Louisville and the Hoyas fell to an upstart Rutgers team in the unpredictable Big East. Last night was a chance at redemption for the storied schools. The home team has won the last eight times in the SU-Georgetown rivalry. History was not on the Orange side, and Georgetown certainly was out to prove that late in the game. The Orange built a luxurious lead early, successful on five of their first six buckets. They led by eleven before the game was even four minutes in old. Syracuse picked apart the potent Hoyas, draining three-pointers and grabbing rebounds. Rautins accounted for five three-pointers for Jim Boeheim’s Orange. Wesley Johnson poured in 16 points and eight boards and Rick Jackson donated 12. Johnson was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Syracuse sophomore, forward Kris Joseph, matched up against the Hoyas’ 6’10” center Greg Monroe, and netted 11 points. Monroe was the only Hoyas to deliver a free throw in the first 19 minutes of the game. The Hoyas went 9-of-29 from the field during the first half. Rautins didn’t make a field goal in the game’s final eight minutes.
The shining star for Syracuse was worn down while logging 36 minutes. Jackson and Arinze Onuaku were fouled out to add to the Orange challenges in the second half. The Hoyas scored 30 points in the paint during the second half. They only made four before the intermission. Junior guard, Austin Freeman, amassed 21 points to go along with six rebounds for Georgetown. Chris Wright fetched five steals and fired 20 points. Monroe matched Wright in points. The Orange were unable to defend all three Hoyas in the paint during the game’s final half. Boeheim was severely suffering from a lack of bench depth. Joseph pushed the Orange lead back up to seven with a pair of free throws with fewer than four minutes, but turned the ball over soon after. Freeman’s fastbreak picked pass went straight to the rim for a crowd-pleasing slam dunk and two point Georgetown deficit. Freeman started attacking the hoop in Washington’s second half. He hit 7-of-8 two point field goals in front of the D.C. faithful. Monroe continued to score at will down the stretch, but Thursday was the Orange’s night. Syracuse stifled and edged out their feisty opponent, shooting a nifty ninety percent from the charity stripe and holding the NCAA’s third best field goal shooting team to fewer than forty percent. Joseph drove past Monroe for the deciding bucket with nine seconds to go. Georgetown is mired in its first losing streak of the season. The Hoyas are 11-3 at home, and all three losses have come in their recent skid. Syracuse has yet to lose on the road and rebounded off their six point setback Sunday. The vivacious Orange own a 46-37 all-time advantage against the Hoyas.
Parting Points: Tiger Woods breaks the silence, USA wins a gold in men’s figure skating and the Nuggets hand the Cavs another loss. Nice way to finish the week in sports.
Both teams were coming off surprising Sunday losses to unranked opponents. The Orange were stunned by Louisville and the Hoyas fell to an upstart Rutgers team in the unpredictable Big East. Last night was a chance at redemption for the storied schools. The home team has won the last eight times in the SU-Georgetown rivalry. History was not on the Orange side, and Georgetown certainly was out to prove that late in the game. The Orange built a luxurious lead early, successful on five of their first six buckets. They led by eleven before the game was even four minutes in old. Syracuse picked apart the potent Hoyas, draining three-pointers and grabbing rebounds. Rautins accounted for five three-pointers for Jim Boeheim’s Orange. Wesley Johnson poured in 16 points and eight boards and Rick Jackson donated 12. Johnson was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Syracuse sophomore, forward Kris Joseph, matched up against the Hoyas’ 6’10” center Greg Monroe, and netted 11 points. Monroe was the only Hoyas to deliver a free throw in the first 19 minutes of the game. The Hoyas went 9-of-29 from the field during the first half. Rautins didn’t make a field goal in the game’s final eight minutes.
The shining star for Syracuse was worn down while logging 36 minutes. Jackson and Arinze Onuaku were fouled out to add to the Orange challenges in the second half. The Hoyas scored 30 points in the paint during the second half. They only made four before the intermission. Junior guard, Austin Freeman, amassed 21 points to go along with six rebounds for Georgetown. Chris Wright fetched five steals and fired 20 points. Monroe matched Wright in points. The Orange were unable to defend all three Hoyas in the paint during the game’s final half. Boeheim was severely suffering from a lack of bench depth. Joseph pushed the Orange lead back up to seven with a pair of free throws with fewer than four minutes, but turned the ball over soon after. Freeman’s fastbreak picked pass went straight to the rim for a crowd-pleasing slam dunk and two point Georgetown deficit. Freeman started attacking the hoop in Washington’s second half. He hit 7-of-8 two point field goals in front of the D.C. faithful. Monroe continued to score at will down the stretch, but Thursday was the Orange’s night. Syracuse stifled and edged out their feisty opponent, shooting a nifty ninety percent from the charity stripe and holding the NCAA’s third best field goal shooting team to fewer than forty percent. Joseph drove past Monroe for the deciding bucket with nine seconds to go. Georgetown is mired in its first losing streak of the season. The Hoyas are 11-3 at home, and all three losses have come in their recent skid. Syracuse has yet to lose on the road and rebounded off their six point setback Sunday. The vivacious Orange own a 46-37 all-time advantage against the Hoyas.
Parting Points: Tiger Woods breaks the silence, USA wins a gold in men’s figure skating and the Nuggets hand the Cavs another loss. Nice way to finish the week in sports.
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