Tulane University
Georgetown
Green Wave Can't Hold Off #20 Hoyas
Nov 15, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Kris Richard poured in 22 points for the Tulane men's basketball team, but it was not enough to overcome a hot shooting Georgetown team, falling 69-53, to the 20th-ranked team in their home opener at the Verizon Center on Monday night.
Johnny Mayhane got things started on the right foot for Tulane (1-1) by knocking down a 3-pointer in the opening seconds of the game, but Georgetown's (2-0) Austin Freeman answered 13 seconds later to tie the score with the Hoyas' first of eight first-half 3-pointers. Freeman then scored on a lay-up to give GU the lead, one they would never give up.
"Hats off to Georgetown," Tulane head coach Ed Conroy said. "They came out with great focus. They have three sensational guards and have four starters back and are a top 20 team. They made us pay and they stepped up and hit those threes early. Credit them with that and I thought as we bounced back their willingness to share the basketball showed up."
The Hoyas knocked down 50.0 percent of their shots in the opening half, including eight of 18 from long range. GU also dished out eight assists in the opening 20 minutes.
Tulane struggled shooting the ball early, hitting just 29.6 percent (8-27) in the first half and knocked down just five of 14 3-pointers.
Georgetown used a 14-1 run midway through the first half to take a 29-9 lead, their largest of the half, but Tulane rallied and closed the half on a 10-2 run to make it a 12-point deficit going into the locker room.
Freeman scored 15 of GU's 34 first-half points and Richard posted 13 of Tulane's 22.
The Green Wave was able to chip away at the lead early in the second half and cut the deficit to nine, 36-27 after a Kendall Timmons free throw with 16:24 remaining, but Freeman converted a rare four-point play on a made 3-pointer and a free throw to expand the lead to 13. Tulane's Booker made a jumper to cut it back to 11, the closest the Green Wave would get the rest of the game.
"I was really proud of our guys. They kept fighting and we are a much better basketball team now then we were five days ago when we left New Orleans," Conroy said. "There is no doubt about it."
Georgetown's largest lead, 56-32, came with 9:42 remaining.
Richard also added nine rebounds to his team-high 22 points in 37 minutes of action. Jordan Callahan chipped in nine points and dished out six assists for the Green Wave.
Freeman finished the game with 23 points for the Hoyas, while Jason Clark added 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds and Vee Sanford had 10 points.
Georgetown won the battle of the boards, 34-30, and finished the game hitting 48.1 percent from the floor, including 12 of 29 from 3-point range. Tulane shot just 35.8 percent from the floor, including 7 of 21 from long range.
The Green Wave return to New Orleans for the home opener on Friday when Centenary invades Fogelman Arena for a 7 p.m. CST tip off.
