Georgetown shoots 78.3 percent in first half
The last time Georgetown shot this well, the Secret Service was also at Verizon Center.
It only made sense that the security presence at the arena on Saturday — in anticipation of President Obama’s attendance at the Wizards game later in the day against the Miami Heat, which didn’t happen — would inspire the Hoyas to shoot 78.3 percent in the first half in a runaway 99-75 victory over Loyola (Md.).
In hitting 18-of-23 shots before halftime, the Hoyas (10-1) had their second-best half under head coach John Thompson III. Georgetown was 17-for-22 (77.3 percent) in the first half of last season’s win over Duke with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden sitting courtside.
During Saturday’s deciding stretch, Georgetown held the Greyhounds (4-6) without a field goal for 9 minutes, 35 seconds in the first half while hitting eight shots in a row during a 27-8 run. Leading scorers Austin Freeman (14 points), Hollis Thompson (14 points), Henry Sims (12 points) and Chris Wright (11 points) were a combined 17-for-21 in the game. Jason Clark also added seven points and three steals
The only reason the Hoyas didn’t match the 71.7 percent shooting they finished with against the Blue Devils — settling for a still plenty impressive 64.2 percent — was because Georgetown’s starters spent nearly the entire second half on the bench.
“Well I remember one time,” Greyhounds coach Jimmy Patsos said when asked if he’d ever seen a team shoot that well. Sure enough, Patsos was an assistant coach at Maryland when the Terrapins lost to UCLA, 105-70, at the Minneapolis Metrodome during the 2000 NCAA Tournament. “I wish [the roof] fell in that night.”
