Georgetown vs. Marquette: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
It was an incredible opening night of conference play for the Big East Conference, but, unfortunately, both Georgetown and Marquette came out on the losing end in their games. Who avoids the dreaded 0-2 start?
TV schedule: Saturday, Dec. 30, 4:00 p.m. ET. FS1
Arena: BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Coming into the season, the Georgetown Hoyas 10-2 (0-1) were expected to be in the cellar in the Big East. And after a non-conference schedule filled with some of the worst teams in college basketball, there were question marks as to how good the team was.
The home opener against Butler showed that Patrick Ewing may have a decent squad on his hands after all. At least in the first half, as the Hoyas had an 18 point lead over the Bulldogs. But similarly to the Syracuse game, Georgetown allowed the opponent to come back, and a Bulldog tip-in after a miss to beat the buzzer sent the game to overtime. It was a back and forth battle, but Georgetown ultimately lost at home in a double overtime thriller, 91-89.
The Marquette Golden Eagles 9-4 (0-1) also lost a tough game, this one at home to Xavier, 91-87. Andrew Rowsey led all scorers in the game with 31 points, poor defense along with Markus Howard having an off-shooting night, the team fell as well. Sam Hauser had 12 points, but also dished out a career-high eight assists, an impressive feat for a forward. He’ll have a tough time battling Jessie Govan of the Hoyas, who proved that he’s not just a stat stuffer against weaker teams.
Looking at the match-up between the teams, Georgetown’s problem with allowing teams to go on runs, particularly in the second half, is an issue against an Eagles team that can be as explosive as they come. On the other hand, Marquette’s defensive issues can last all 40 minutes.
Next: Top Big East players in 2010-11
Georgetown’s non-conference schedule all but ensures them being exempt from the NCAA tournament, but a good finish in conference play could do wonders down the road. Marquette, however, cannot afford to go down 0-2 to start league play, especially losing at home. The Eagles need the win and should get one in a high-scoring affair.
Prediction: Marquette 88 – Georgetown 80