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 | Defense Struggles Again, Hoyas Give Up 90 at Seton Hall

Coming off another last-minute loss at home, the Georgetown men’s basketball team had little luck stopping Seton Hall Wednesday night, losing 90-75.

Senior center Jessie Govan led the Hoyas (15-10, 5-7 Big East) with 20 points and six rebounds. Playing a key role off the bench, senior guard Greg Malinowski recorded 16 points, four rebounds and four assists.

The Pirates (15-9, 6-6 Big East), now winners of three of their last four games, jumped out to an early double-digit lead against the Hoyas. They took advantage of a 12-0 run in the beginning of the first half to take an 18-7 lead over the Hoyas.

Georgetown struggled with eight first-half turnovers and shot only 2 of 9 from the three-point range, helping Seton Hall extend its lead to 20 points with 3:12 remaining.

The Hoyas fought back, ending the first half with a 7-0 run and providing hope for another close ending. However, the Pirates responded strong after the break, going on a 15-5 run over the next four minutes to take a 63-42 lead.

Trailing by 19 points with 13:20 left to play, Malinowski provided a spark with back-to-back three-pointers, cutting the deficit to 13 with 12:11 to go.

GUHOYAS | SENIOR GUARD GREG MALINOWKSI DRIVES TO THE HOOP AGAINST SETON HALL. MALINOWSKI CONTRIBUTED 16 POINTS OFF THE BENCH FOR THE HOYAS

While Georgetown nearly matched the Pirates’ 55 percent shooting in the second half by shooting 52 percent, the Hoyas struggled to stop Seton Hall junior guard and leading scorer Myles Powell, who dropped 30 points on the night.

After Malinowski’s three-pointers, Powell responded with six straight points to extend the lead to 19 points again.

With just under seven minutes remaining, Georgetown cut the deficit to 11 points after sophomore guard Jamorko Pickett’s three-pointer. However, this was the closest the Hoyas could get as they missed nine of their last 11 shots, and the Pirates ended the game on a 9-4 run to seal the 15-point victory.

The 90 points Georgetown gave up in its defeat is the most allowed by the team in regulation this season. The Blue and Gray’s struggles to stop opponents on defense have been a trend throughout the season: Georgetown sits last in the Big East in points allowed with 77.9 points per game. Even the team’s strong spots were not enough on Wednesday; despite the fact that the Hoyas are the top rebounding team in the conference, they were outrebounded by the Pirates 38-30.

Looking ahead, Georgetown must win four of its final six games in the Big East to get back to .500 play in the conference. By getting back to .500 in the Big East, Georgetown hopes to avoid the play-in game of the Big East tournament in March.

The Hoyas will have a week to rest before their next test — a home battle against the No. 13 Villanova Wildcats. Villanova defeated Georgetown 77-65 back in Philadelphia on Feb. 3.

While Georgetown has posted a Big East high of 81.3 points per game on offense this season, Villanova leads the league on the defensive end, limiting opponents to 66.6 points per game. The game will be televised on Fox Sports 1 starting at 6:30 p.m., and it can be heard locally on The Team 980 FM.

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