Georgetown Grinds Out a Big Win Against Fatigued Marquette
Georgetown hosted Jesuit rival Marquette on Monday night in a showcase of two of the Big East’s top teams. Both teams came into Monday after winning their respective Saturday matchups, Georgetown knocking off Rutgers and Marquette grinding a win out against DePaul. The quick turnaround had an obvious impact on both teams who struggled early and often from the field.
Feb 11, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Georgetown Hoyas forward Otto Porter (22) is congratulated by forward Nate Lubick (34) and guard Jabril Trawick (55) after making a basket in the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Marquette looked good early by attacking inside and playing their up-tempo style, however, Georgetown was able to get the upper hand midway through the first half by crashing the boards and forcing Marquette into some devastating turnovers at crucial spots in the game. After the fast paced start, the game considerably slowed down into a half court contest, which Georgetown used to its advantage. The most critical point in the game came midway through the second half with Georgetown holding on to a slim 37-34 lead after a Marquette run to close the gap. Marquette coach Buzz Williams was called for a technical foul and the Georgetown student section erupted with chants of “off the court, off the court”, energizing Georgetown to make a run of their own to pull away from a fatigued Marquette side. The technical foul not only gave Georgetown some breathing room, it also wiped away any spark Marquette had generated in the second half.
Sophomore forward Otto Porter led the way for Georgetown with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Marquette’s only bright spot was the inside play of Chris Otule, but foul trouble kept Otule from having a major impact on the game. Georgetown looks to build on the momentum from this win when they travel to Cincinnati to take on Sean Kilpatrick and the Bearcats on Febuary 15th, , while Marquette has another tough matchup against the #16 Pitt Panthers on Saturday.