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 | Hoyas Dominate Hawks, Improve to 3-0

SUBUL MALIK FOR THE HOYA
Junior center Jessie Govan was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll for the second straight week, after scoring 23 points against Maryland-Eastern Shore.

The Georgetown men’s basketball team cruised to another lopsided victory Saturday, defeating the University of Marlyand-Eastern Shore Hawks 83-57 as Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85) wrapped up his first full week as head coach.

Despite the large margin of victory, Ewing said he realizes that bigger challenges lie ahead for his team.

“It’s very early, and we’re still learning. I’m still pushing them and trying to get them ready for Big East play,” Ewing said.

The Hoyas (3-0) came out firing on all cylinders. Less than seven minutes into the game, Georgetown led 22-4 against UMES (1-2). The Hoyas’ dominance on both sides of the floor continued for the rest of the game, as their lead never fell below 13 points.

Only five Hoyas scored on Saturday, but all reached double figures. Juniors Kaleb Johnson, Jessie Govan and Marcus Derrickson finished with 24, 23 and 14 points, respectively. Freshman guard Jahvon Blair contributed 12 points, while senior guard Jonathan Mulmore added 10.

Johnson and Govan caught fire from the beginning and never looked back. Johnson finished with a career-high 24 points, making nine of his 13 shots from the field and his first four shot attempts from deep — one more than he made all of last season.

“When I get my shots, [Ewing] said take them. He’s said that since the first time he set foot on campus, so it definitely gave me a lot of confidence,” Johnson said. “He always encourages me to shoot the ball whenever I have my shot, and that’s a big thing knowing whenever I step up to the three-point line, my coach has my back.”

Ewing reiterated that he wants Johnson to feel comfortable when taking his shot.

“This is probably one of his best games. He played with a lot of confidence. He knocked down shots and was able to drive and finish. In order for us to be good, he’s going to have to continue to do that,” Ewing said.

Govan added 14 rebounds to his 23 points, marking his third straight game with 14 or more rebounds. With a few minutes left in the first half, Govan had more rebounds than the Hawks’ entire team.

“You know the bar has been set high for me this year,” Govan said. “The numbers are going to come, but I’m just trying to go out there and lead my team to a victory.”

Govan currently ranks third in the NCAA in rebounds per game, with 14.3. Govan has certainly benefitted from Ewing’s up-tempo philosophy.

The Hoyas took a 21-point lead into the locker room. However, the Hoyas came out sloppy to start the second half, making several errant passes that allowed the Hawks to score 10 unanswered points to start the third quarter. Although his team still held a comfortable lead, Ewing called a quick timeout to vent his frustration with the team.

“We’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the ball. I think we were up 21 and we can’t come out lackadaisical,” Ewing said . “[UMES] picked up their pace — trapping and playing more aggressive. I think in the second half, we turned it over five times just like this. If we want to be successful, we have to do a better job of taking care of the ball.”

With their win on Saturday, the Hoyas average margin of victory is 26. However, the Hoyas are far from playing flawless basketball. In their three games this season, the Hoyas have committed 18, 16 and 13 turnovers.

Although Georgetown’s turnover total is still high, Johnson sees the downward trend in giveaways as a sign of the team’s improvement.

“I think, in these games, we’re only getting better and better,” Johnson said. “Last game we rebounded well, and today we cut down on our turnovers. I think each game is about improving.”

The Hoyas face the Richmond Spiders (0-2) in Richmond, Va., on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

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