Golden Eagles' Experience Too Much for Young Hoyas

With a chant of “N-I-T’ drifting down from the visiting fans’ section and fifteen seconds left to play, Jessie Sapp and Chris Wright shared a dejected low-five that seemed to convey a shared respect for an all-out effort that was just not enough.

Through 13 lead changes and four ties, the Hoyas fought for every rebound and contested every shot. The effort kept the game close and always within reach, but down the stretch, effort could no longer make up for the fundamental difference between the teams. Marquette has the experience and leadership to keep it together in close games and make the right plays when it counts. The Hoyas do not.

For about 34 minutes the Hoyas looked like they might pull off the upset. Despite leaving Wesley Matthews open for four three pointers in the first half, the Hoyas kept the game close by working the ball successfully into the paint for 16 of their 44 points and sharing the ball well for nine assists.

In the second half, Georgetown kept up with the Golden Eagles when they ran and then were able to dictate the pace by slowing it down on offense and buckling down on defense.

When it really counted though, things started to fall apart. DaJuan Summers, who had three of his team high five turnovers in the final ten minutes of the game, seemed to completely abandon the game plan. Even when he scored, it was out of the flow of the offense, and his silly fifth foul, with 2:47 to play, took the leading scorer off the floor for the Hoyas.

With or without Summers, once Marquette took the lead, Georgetown seemed completely frazzled. They were either unable or unwilling to get the ball in to Monroe, who had only one attempt once the Golden Eagles got ahead, and they attempted only eight field goals in the games final eight minutes.

Defensively, the Hoyas were physical — especially on the perimeter — but by sticking with their offense the Golden Eagles were able to keep scoring. Four out of their final five field goals were assisted, and all of those assisted buckets were layups. Through sharing the ball and sticking to the game plan, Marquette got high percentage looks when it mattered most.

Thompson definitely noticed the difference in execution. In his brief post-game press conference, he cited the Golden Eagles’ experience and execution at least five different times.

“I don’t think we played poorly today,” he said. “It’s experience. Coming down the stretch — they executed well down the stretch of the game. It comes with experience.”

Experience that many of Coach Thompson’s players do not have. Certainly Summers and Sapp have seen their fair share of close games, but not without the calm leadership of Jonathan Wallace and the steady presence of Roy Hibbert.

Monroe could have certainly been more assertive under the basket, but he is, after all, a freshman who cannot really be blamed for differing to his more experienced teammates in the clutch. Chris Wright spent most of last year with a boot on his foot, and Austin Freeman always seems to follow his teammates lead rather than dictate the pace himself.

Marquette, on the other hand, has years of experience playing together to tell them what to do with the game on the line.

“They’re all seniors.. they executed better,” Thompson said. “ It’s as simple as that.”

Last season, the veteran group of Hoyas won a lot of Big East games in the final two minutes, and they almost never seemed to deviate from their game plan, even in the toughest of times.

This season, which Thompson conceded was his most trying as a coach, the pendulum has swung the other way. Despite playing well for 35 minutes, by the time Sapp and Wright had their end-of-game moment, the upset Georgetown so dearly needed was just out of reach.

After impressive play against Syracuse and a blow-out of the Bulls, the gap between the Hoyas and teams like Marquette is closing, though maybe not as fast as most would like. Even if those pesky Marquette fans were right and the season is NIT bound, one day all this tough experience will start to pay off.

They say adversity builds character, and after another heartbreaking loss, the Hoyas are heading into the stretch run of the season with plenty of character to spare.