Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

MEN’S BASKETBALL | Derrickson’s Game-Winning 3-Pointer Lifts Hoyas Over Pirates

SHEEL PATEL FOR THE HOYA
Junior forward Marcus Derrickson’s three-pointer with four seconds left in regulation proved to be the game-winner as Georgetown defeated Seton Hall 83-80 last Saturday at Capital One Arena. Derrickson scored 22 points while grabbing a career-high 18 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season.

Junior forward Marcus Derrickson’s three-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining led the Georgetown men’s basketball team to a last-second 83-80 win over Seton Hall on Saturday afternoon.  The win against the former No.13 Pirates came when it was most needed, as the Hoyas had lost their previous four games.

“They’re all big, this one’s big, St. John’s was big, every game we’ve won this year is big,” Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85) said in his post-game news conference.

Georgetown (14-10, 4-9 Big East) took the lead early on and held it throughout most of the game. At halftime, the Hoyas led 46-33 after shooting 60 percent from the floor and holding Seton Hall (17-8, 6-6 Big East) to 34 percent shooting. Derrickson led the Hoyas in the first half, scoring 14 of his 22 points before the half.

“[The crowd] gave us a lot of energy from the jump and we kept feeding off of their energy and made plays,” Derrickson said.

After the intermission, junior center Jessie Govan and freshman guard Jamorko Pickett made back-to-back jumpers to put the Hoyas up 50-33, their biggest lead of the night. From there, though, Seton Hall went on an 18-3 run, cutting the deficit to two points with 14:17 remaining in regulation.

“We could have easily have let the rope go,” Ewing said. “We went up 13 at half and then a little bit more, but we fought and I thought we did a great job keeping our composure, making shots and making plays.”

With 7:19 left, Georgetown went up eight after freshman guard Jahvon Blair’s three made free throws. The Pirates responded by going on a 10-0 run, taking a 69-67 lead with 5:36 to go — their first lead of the game.

In the final minutes, Pickett helped the Hoyas regain the lead twice, first with a dunk and then a three-pointer. Pickett led the way in the second half for the Blue and Gray, scoring 13 of his 18 points.

“We didn’t let [their run] rattle us, we ran our stuff. [Pickett] made some big shots for us and stepped up to help us withstand the run,” Derrickson said.

Ewing commented on Pickett’s continual growth throughout the season, which the freshman showcased on Saturday.

[Pickett’s] grown a lot. He’s stepped up and he’s doing a much better job not only on the offensive end, but on the defensive end,” Ewing said. “He’s not a freshman anymore like I keep telling him. … He’s only going to get better.”

With 1:13 remaining, Govan’s jump shot extended the Hoyas’ lead to five. Seton Hall guard Myles Powell responded with an and-one to cut the deficit back to two. The Hoyas turned the ball over during their next possession, leading to an easy fast-break dunk for the Pirates, who tied the score at 80 with 31 seconds remaining.

As the crowd rose to its feet in the closing seconds, the ball found itself in Derrickson’s hands for a catch-and-shoot, around 25 feet from the basket. Trying to prevent the open look, Seton Hall guard Khadeen Carrington rocketed into Derrickson just as he released the shot, fouling Derrickson and sending him spiraling down to his left.

The shot, unaltered, sailed straight through, giving Georgetown the critical 83-80 lead and bringing delirium to Capital One Arena.

Derrickson did not make his free throw, though, giving the Pirates a chance for one last shot with 4.1 seconds left. Powell got off a clear three-point look, but the ball clanged off the rim as the Hoyas hung on for the win.

For the game, Georgetown shot 51.6 percent from the floor. Seton Hall forward Desi Rodriguez and guard Myles Powell combined for 49 points.  Derrickson added 18 rebounds to his 22 points for his sixth double-double of the season.

For Ewing and the Hoyas, victory punctuated a string of competitive but fruitless endeavors on their Big East slate.

“It’s hard to take moral victories. I want to win, that’s what I’m here for is to win. I’ve been a winner all my life and I consider myself a winner.” Ewing said. “And at the end of the day, I want them to be winners and consider themselves winners.”

Georgetown returns to action Tuesday when the team travels to Indianapolis to take on the Butler Bulldogs (17-9, 7-6 Big East). Butler edged the Hoyas out 91-89 in double overtime in the teams’ first matchup.

Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. The game will be covered on CBS Sports Network and will air locally on 99.1 FM.

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    Mary PrinzeFeb 12, 2018 at 1:30 pm

    Hi,

    Very nice and interesting article shared over basketball and i read this article and glad to appreciate your knowledge and efforts.

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    Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work

    Reply