BACON'S BITS: Hoyas Juiced, Pound Orange

Senior Center Bradley Hayes Greeting by Legendary former Hoyas Coach John Thompson 

By Mark Bacon

Georgetown beat Syracuse. The Hoyas pounded the Orange. It feels good to type that.

Georgetown and Syracuse played Saturday, and for the first time in three seasons, the Hoyas were victorious, beating 14th-ranked Syracuse, 79-72. Buoyed by hot shooting and a size advantage inside, Georgetown built a lead that surpassed 20 shortly into the second half.

• But the Hoyas had to withstand a late Syracuse rally, aided by a full-court press, shaky Hoya ball-handling, and the Orange suddenly finding their outside shooting touch. It wasn't enough, and Georgetown won the first post-conference match-up between the two hated rivals.

• Georgetown controlled this game, leading for 37 of 40 minutes, primarily by double digits. The Hoya frontcourt, especially Bradley Hayes and Marcus Derrickson, feasted on the smaller Syracuse  squad, scoring inside at will and effectively hitting the offensive glass. Georgetown also displayed sharp outside shooting; five Hoyas hit three-pointers.

• For all the excitement leading up to this game, the rematch lacked some of the seeming life-or-death stakes of conference showdowns. The one big minus: the SU Coach Jim Boeheim, who began his NCAA imposed nine-game exile just before this game. 

• Still, the joint was jumping. A packed Verizon Center crowd cheered and jeered. On the sideline were familiar faces--Big John Thompson, Otto Porter, and the stalwart announcer Rich Chvotkin, calling his 1300th game, appropriately, a Hoya win over Syracuse.

• In addition to Hayes and Derrickson, Isaac Copeland (14 points, 4 rebounds) and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (11 points, 5 assists) both scored in double figures. Copeland found the seams in the Orange zone: the sophomore forward hit a pair of triples, converted an offensive rebound, drained an elbow jumper, and threw down a thunderous dunk.

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