Let's run the numbers:
TEMPO-FREE BOX SCORE . Home Visitor . Georgetown Loyola . 1st Half 2nd Half Total 1st Half 2nd Half Total Pace 35 39 74 Effic. 144.0 125.3 133.5 77.8 122.7 101.2 eFG% 87.0 63.3 73.6 33.3 58.8 48.3 TO% 17.3 17.9 17.5 31.7 12.8 21.6 OR% 12.5 33.3 26.1 50.0 33.3 41.0 FTA/FGA 69.6 50.0 58.5 66.7 38.2 50.0 Assist Rate 61.1 75.0 67.6 85.7 64.7 70.8 Block Rate 14.3 8.7 10.8 0.0 12.5 6.5 Steal Rate 17.3 10.2 13.5 5.8 10.2 8.1 2FG% 93.3 62.5 77.4 35.7 47.8 43.2 3FG% 50.0 42.9 45.5 20.0 54.5 38.1 FT% 62.5 73.3 67.7 68.8 61.5 65.5
The game should really be treated in two parts: the competitive portion and extended garbage time.
The question is when did the Hoyas call off the dogs? Was it after the first media time out of the Vesper half, when Chris Wright sat down for Markel Starks? With 13:30 left in the game, when Jason Clark and Austin Freeman grabbed some pine and made room for Vee Sanford? Or perhaps after the next media time out, when Moses Ayegba got off the bench for some extended burn?
Regardless, one should take the second half stats with an enormous grain of salt. Despite the final score, Georgetown actually was putting on a strong defensive effort with the starters playing, and the offense was really humming along until the turnover bug caught the second-line players.
This was an important game of the team, in the sense that it represents almost the last chance for the deep bench players to get some time game time and impress the coaching staff enough to remain an option once conference play starts.
- There wasn't a lot of team defense on display late in the game (shocker!), but Ayegba's two blocks and a steal looked good enough to me to suggest that he'd be a great change-of-pace look against the bigger Big East front lines. His free throw stroke looks sweet too (I'm looking at you, Mr. Vaughn and Mr. Sims).
- For the season, Sanford is now shooting 8/11 on 3FG. This isn't sustainable (he shot 3/13 on 3FG last season), but I've got to think he's done enough to steal 6-8 minutes a game from the starters.
- Of the players with meaningful court time, Starks has the lowest ORating and the worst Net Points stat. He's also next season's starting point guard, by default - I don't want to see Jason Clark trying to dribble through a press. How the coaching staff balances his development with Chris Wright's minutes should be interesting.
