Xavier-Georgetown 1/15/2014 X History Game

[XUFan09]

The better team, no matter if the bench is short, does not allow a lead well into the double digits to turn into a double-digit loss. The claim of "better team" is particularly suspect if you shoot 70% from three to build that lead when you're a 33% three-point shooting team, no matter the quality of the opponent's defense. Law of averages will play out there. Also, conditioning does factor into the determination of a team's quality, and Georgetown's starting guards are already used to playing a lot of minutes, both being nationally ranked in that category. So "fatigue" doesn't suddenly turn the double-digit loser into clearly the better team.

The game was already close again before fatigue could even be claimed as a convenient excuse. Xavier cut it down to 7 with 12:40 to go. They cut it down to 2 with 8:27 to go. So with more than 20% of the game to play, it was close again and Georgetown's big lead had been eliminated. Fatigue may have made Georgetown bottom out a little later, which helped lead to the double-digit loss (combined with some really, really dumb shots near the end, which involves the opposite of being a good team), but it can't really be used as an excuse for having given up the lead with that much time left.

[HuskyMuskie]

I love winning, but you have to question the way we start games sometimes. Why is it that J-Mart tries to run the ball out on fast breaks? That is always frustrating. I was also impressed with the way DSR shot the ball, both in the lane and from the perimeter. I'm pretty positive that he will be a four year player at G-Town and will be an absolute animal in the coming years in this league. Great game to watch.

[jays911]

Congrats, X. Great comeback. Best of luck except when you play my Jays.

[DudeAnon]

Cmon X brethren, keep it classy.

[XUFan09]

Cmon X brethren, keep it classy.

If you're referring specifically to the responses to HoyaHooligan, what hasn't been classy? Disagreeing with him? He basically pulled a Matt Leinart, and no one has really attacked him over it.

[BEX]

I have to give this win to Coach Mack. Lit up some butts @ half time after a very sluggish start. Semaj goes out with 4 fouls. Didn't make any difference.

[bmorex]

Basically what I posted on XH, with a few additions:

A few things:
- What a win. To be down by 17 and to start back like that was awesome to watch. One of my personal favorite moments being at a Xavier basketball game. Team went on a 44-14 run and finished with a 16-0 run. GTown didn't score in the last 6 minutes!
- Dee Davis had a great game. He has really stepped up since the catastrophe in the Bahamas. As has JMart.
- The officiating was....questionable today. They let the boys play (roughly) in the paint but then also called ticky-tack fouls off the ball too. That was on both sides. Georgetown got away with several illegal screens IMO which opened up the three point shots.
- Credit the Hoyas though. They nailed the open 3 point jumpers. Made 7 of 11 in the 1st half, then 3 straight in the second half on a 9-0 run. But X was able to hold them to 0-4 the rest of the way.
- How about the team mounting that comeback with Semaj on the bench? Awesome stuff.
- James Farr yelling "that's a three!" when he nailed one. And Myles with the "game-winner" at which point the Hoyas would not come back. 0 points after that.
- I think the lack of depth (with Smith and Trawick injured) and the fouls called on the Hoyas' bigs really hurt them down the stretch.
- Georgetown nailed a lot of 3 pointers in the first half (and the first 5 mins of the second) due to a quick screen and a three point jumper. XU's D needs to shore up in that regard, but they did in the second half.
- In the last 15 minutes, Cintas Center was electric. It's nice to have the students back, so kudos to everyone there.
- For me personally as a senior, that is a top 3 Xavier game. Perhaps that is due to my history with the Hoyas and really wanting to beat them, but man, that was awesome.

[Lavinwood]

G'Town was missing their leading scorer? It's always tough to judge a win when the other team was missing their best player, but still nice win for X. I like how they are coming along and knew they'd be very competitive from day 1.

[xu155]

G'Town was missing their leading scorer? It's always tough to judge a win when the other team was missing their best player, but still nice win for X. I like how they are coming along and knew they'd be very competitive from day 1.

I doubt Josh Smith scores more than 17 a game (and starks gets over 15 per). But yes, I'm sure they could have used him.

If you don't think the return game will be a good one, I'm going to tell you that you're wrong. Gtown only got that big lead because of super hot shooting and X's somewhat lackluster perimeter D. The return game will be good. Gtown won't shoot 10/14 from three for 2/3rds of the game, and they also won't go on such a huge drought of ineptitude.

[xu155]

Biggest frustration for me in this game (besides the very inconsistent referees, although this is related): Gtown sets an illegal screen every damn time down the court. They constantly walk through their screens. Give them credit, because they are very good at it, but wow. Lubick does it every time. He seems like he could have fouled out in the first 5 minutes of the game.