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

Hoyas Prep for Clash With Titans

The last time there was a nationally televised basketball game at McDonough Gymnasium, Georgetown was a program well on its way to joining the nation’s elite. On Feb. 20, 1982, a decisive 63-51 victory over No. 4 Missouri before a packed gym of more than 4,000 fans and a national television audience showed the nation that John Thompson II, freshman center Patrick Ewing and the rest of the Hoyas would be a force nationally that season and in the years to come.

Since then, games on campus have been few and far between, and most have been early-season tune-ups that the Hoyas won without any suspense or celebration. This year’s 58-40 win over San Jose State in December was the first game there since 2001. The only game of significance there in the last 23 years was Georgetown’s 71-44 victory over the University of Texas-El Paso in the second round of the 1993 NIT.

Tonight, for the first time since 1993, Georgetown students will have the opportunity to see the Hoyas play a postseason game in their own backyard. Once again, it will be in the second round of the NIT. This time, Cal State Fullerton is the opponent.

“I think we’re going to get a little more of a home court advantage,” senior swingman Darrel Owens said. “Obviously, we’re used to these baskets. We practice here a lot, so hopefully our shots will go down like they always do in practice.”

The Hoyas will be heavily favored to advance against a Titan team that had to go on the road to win both its play-in game at Oregon State and its first round game at San Francisco. All the travel has taken its toll on the Titans (21-10). Senior forward Ralphy Holmes, the leading scorer and rebounder in the Big West Conference this season, injured his left knee in the win over San Francisco on Friday and is done for the season. They will have only eight players available, one of whom, junior forward Danny Lambert, has played only 18 minutes all season. No one who has played significant minutes is taller than 6-foot-7.

The lack of height on the Titans figures to be good news for Georgetown’s two principal big men, 6-foot-8 freshman forward Jeff Green and 7-foot-2 freshman center Roy Hibbert. Especially for Hibbert, who has not started the last six games after starting most of the season, the game could be a chance to reassert himself.

One of the reasons that Hibbert’s playing time has slipped in the last month has been the play of Owens, who replaced him as a starter as Head Coach John Thompson III has favored a smaller starting lineup. Owens has 44 points in the last three games – two Big East Tournament games and the first round NIT victory over Boston University. He is shooting 15-24 from the field during that stretch.

While Owens is a graduating senior, since he was ineligible to play his freshman year, he does have one year of eligibility remaining and would be able to return to the Hoyas next year provided that he is able to enroll in a graduate program at Georgetown. Thompson said that no decision has been reached on Owens’ future, but the senior has stated that he would like to come back for one more year.

“I’ve thought about it,” Owens said. “The last few games I’ve kind of thought to myself that maybe Coach Thompson has thought to himself that I’ve been playing a lot better. Coach Thompson has always told me that I can be a good basketball player for this team, and when that player was going to come out, I think I’ve been showing it of late.”

Tonight’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN, marking the first time since the Missouri game 23 years ago that there has been a nationally televised basketball game at cDonough.

“I definitely remember that game,” Thompson said. As a sophomore in high school, he was in the stands that day to see his father’s team pull the upset. “So hopefully we’re in a position now, where we’re in McDonough, to recreate that atmosphere, and the fans will come out and be loud.”

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

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