St. John’s Rolls Past Georgetown
Washington, D.C. – St John’s came into the game against Georgetown riding a six-game win streak. The Hoyas, on the other hand, came in losing five of their last six games, with one of those losses coming to the Red Storm 63-58. The Red Storm took control of the game from the start with a 14-0 run. The Red Storm was led in scoring by Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejiofor. They helped St Johns shoot 62% from the field in the first half while holding the Hoyas to 24% from the field and 23% from three-point range. Malik Mack tried to keep the Hoyas close by scoring nine first half points. But with Georgetown’s leading scorer Thomas Sorber being held to just three points in the first half the Red Storm took a commanding 47-21 lead into halftime.
The start of the second half was the first time the Hoyas showed any fight and resistance. Sorber scored two tough buckets to start the half off. They also came out in a 1-3-1 zone to try and slow down the hot shooting Red Storm. Drew Fielder buried a few three-pointers for the Hoyas to help them cut into the lead. They indeed slowed down the Red Storm with their zone in the second half getting as close as 13 points with just over six minutes left in the game. But the 20+ point lead St. Johns held was too big of a hole for the Hoyas to dig themselves out of. Richmond and Ejiofor continue to make tough timely shots down the stretch allowing the Red Storm to hold on for a 66-42 road win extending their win streak to seven games.
Thomas Sorber had his worst game as a Hoya scoring a total of eight points, going 3-of-9 from the field, 0-of-2 from three-point range, while grabbing nine rebounds. For the Hoyas to be successful this year Sorber must play a bigger role in Georgetown’s offense. The perimeter guys must help him by knocking down shots from three so space can be created in the lane for him to operate. The lack of shot making has been an issue for Sorber and the Hoyas all year. They must be consistent from three so Sorber can do damage inside the paint unless team’s will continue to pack the lane and double team him with no consequences. Also, Sorber has to do a better job at staying out of foul trouble by not committing silly fouls.
Malik Mack did his best to keep the Hoyas close tonight, but it was not nearly enough. The Hoyas appeared to be out of rhythm all night on the offensive end. Mack must do a better job at being a facilitator and creating easy shots for his teammates. There were too many times in the second half Mack was able to find offense for himself but turned the ball over trying to create offense for his teammates. Mack came into Georgetown with a reputation for scoring the basketball, but at times when they are struggling to score Mack must find a way to be a facilitator and create offense for his teammates.
Micah Peavy has had an up and down season scoring consistently. He is known for being one of the best defenders in college basketball but there are plenty of times the Hoyas need him to score. Peavy has the potential to be a three-level scorer, he has a nice mid-range jump shot, and he can finish with either hand with contact around the basket. He is shooting a career high from three-point range at 33 percent, but he can be more consistent. The Hoyas play their best when is contributing on the offensive end, especially with Jayden Epps struggling from three and with injuries so far this season.
For Georgetown to be successful this year they have to find a balanced scoring attack and a consistent rhythm offensively. They must find ways to get Sorber shots in the post while allowing their perimeter players to contribute from the outside. They are one of the youngest teams in college basketball so it is to be expected that such a young team will have these issues in a long season. There is still plenty of time for the Hoyas to get their act together in order to make the NCAA tournament, but it must happen soon.
This article was written by Michael Terry, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.
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