Dec. 22, 2007
Memphis, Tenn. - Second-ranked Memphis used a 9-0 run midway through the second half to break open a close game and held off No. 5 Georgetown, 85-71, in front of 18,864 fans at FedEx Forum on Saturday afternoon. It was the first loss this season for the Hoyas, who fall to 8-1, while Memphis improves to 10-0. Leading 46-45 after a steal and layup from freshman guard Chris Wright (Bowie, Md./St. John's College High), Memphis outscored Georgetown 9-0 over a span of 2:01 and took a 54-46 lead on a steal and dunk from Chris Douglas-Roberts. Douglas-Roberts, who scored a game-high 24 points, scored the final seven points of the run as the Tigers took the lead for good. The Hoyas cut the lead to six points on three occasions, the last on a jumper from freshman guard Austin Freeman (Mitchelville, Md./DeMatha) with 10:15 to play, but Memphis connected on 77.3 percent of its free throws in the second half (17-of-22) to pull away for the win. The Hoyas had trailed by three points, 43-40, at the break, but a basket from senior forward Patrick Ewing, Jr. (Marietta, Ga./National Christian Academy [Md.}) and two technical foul free throws from senior guard Jonathan Wallace (Harvest, Ala./Sparkman) gave GU a 44-43 lead. A layup from Antonio Anderson gave Memphis the lead back at 45-44 before Wright's steal and breakaway score gave Georgetown its final lead.
.
The Hoyas quieted the raucous crowd at FedEx Forum down early. After a Dorsey layup gave Memphis an early 7-4 lead, the Hoyas went on a 10-2 run over a span of 4:03, taking a 14-9 lead on a hook shot in the lane from sophomore Vernon Macklin (Portsmouth, Va./Hargrave Military Academy). The Tigers pulled back and cut the martin to one point, 16-15, after consecutive baskets from Robert Dozier and Shawn Taggart.
With the crowd back into it, the Hoyas responded the best way they could, scoring five straight points - with freshman Wright feeding senior center Roy Hibbert (Adelphi, Md./Georgetown Prep) for a layup, Wallace assisting Freeman on a basket and Freeman hitting one free throw - to take a 21-15 lead with 8:31 to play in the half. Georgetown extended its lead to seven points, 24-17, on a three from Freeman, but Memphis outscored the Hoyas 8-2 over the next 1:36, cutting the margin to 26-25 on an Anderson three-pointer. The Hoyas, however, responded again, using an 8-0 run over 1:02 to take a 35-27 lead on a layup from Ewing. Memphis again came back, using a 12-3 spurt over a span of 2:21 to take a 39-38 lead with 1:24 on the clock after a three from Anderson. A pair of free throws from Ewing gave the Hoyas a 40-39 lead, but Douglas-Roberts scored the final two baskets of the half, giving Memphis a 43-40 lead at the break. Freeman scored 14 points to lead the Hoyas, while sophomore forward DaJuan Summers (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) added 13 points and six rebounds. Ewing finished with 10 points and four rebounds. The Hoyas shot 47.5 percent from the floor (28-of-59), 21.4 percent from three-point land (3-of-14) and 52.2 percent from the free throw line (12-of-23). Georgetown returns to action next Saturday, December 29, hosting American at Verizon Center. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. |
 
 |
