Story By: Sol Tucker
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Washington D.C–
If you watched both halves of basketball tonight, it would be hard to believe that this game was as close down to the wire as it was. The first half for both teams is likely one that they would like to forget, but for the Hoyas, it was the Malik Mack show in the second half that fueled the Hoyas to a 69-63 victory.
Mack scored a game high 26 points including 3 for 9 from 3-point range, along with a 7 for 9 effort the line helping the Hoyas to a 12-2 start on the season.
Xavier went the first five minutes without a bucket to start the game when Ryan Conwell hit a lay-up to cut the Hoyas lead to 6-2 with a little over 15 minutes remaining in the half.
Georgetown didn’t fare much better during the next few possessions and scored just 4 more points until the 12:05 mark when Jordan Burks hit a free throw to make to 11-4.
The Hoyas had another long drought that allowed the Musketeers to pull within 2 points a t 24-22 with 2:51 remaining in the half.
Xavier climbed back within a point twice in the second half, but let another close game get away from them and allowed Mack to get free from long range when it really mattered. His three pointer with 14:10 remaining gave the Hoyas a 42-32 lead.
Mack put the game away for the Hoyas when he was fouled with 30 seconds remaining in the game and was able to make both of his free throws giving the Hoyas a 67-61 lead.
“We work really hard to talk about chemistry, love, and care for one another. Make it about the unit. Make it about the group. You got to get, you know the ‘we, never me’ mentality. And again, we may be young, but we have some talented, tough young men who have a will and a want to try to get better. Our goal is to try to get better each and every game. I thought we really, really grew up today, said,” Hoyas Head Coach Ed Cooley.
Zach Freemantle scores 16 to lead the Musketeers, Dayvion McKnight and Ryan Conwell each finish with 12 points in the loss.
With the victory tonight, the Hoyas improve to 3-0 in Big East play and have one of their biggest challenges on the second part of their schedule with #8 Marquette on the road on Tuesday night and then back to Capital One on Saturday January 11th to face #11 ranked UCONN.
