Everything about this game made perfect sense

NEW YORK – There was no way it could be any different. Everything came together just right for Georgetown and Syracuse to play each other one last time as Big East members. The only way this game could go was to be a thriller; there was no other option.

It was a close game almost throughout, as Syracuse had a 12-point lead for a short period, and then overtime was a possibility – and it came. It was the first overtime game in the Big East Tournament between these two in more than 27 years. A second overtime looked like a possibility, but it wasn’t meant to be as Syracuse closed out Georgetown 58-55.

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2013 Big East Tournament quarterfinal quick hitters

NEW YORK – Georgetown vs. Syracuse. The rivalry lives on in the context of the Big East just a little longer.

The semifinals are set for the 2013 Big East Tournament, and the first one that set up had many people buzzing. Georgetown and Syracuse will have one last game while both are members of the Big East, which is only fitting considering this is the last Big East Tournament as we know it. That game will be a tough act to follow, but Louisville and Notre Dame will try to do that. Considering the Cardinals and Fighting Irish produced the most thrilling game of the season to date when they went to five overtimes, we know they are capable.

Some quick hitters from Thursday’s games:

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Porter comes up big again for Georgetown

STORRS, Conn. – Otto Porter didn’t need to score 33 points on Wednesday night, although like on Saturday he did have a much better second half than first half.  Georgetown won the game after many twists and turns.  And while Porter didn’t need to be a hero by scoring as many points, he was still the one who made the play that counted the most when the game was on the line.

It wasn’t a memorable individual game, but no one who was at Gampel Pavilion on Wendesday night will forget Georgetown’s 79-78 win over Connecticut in double overtime where they scored the last eight points, five coming from Porter.

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The Jimmy V: Analysis and teams headed in opposite directions

NEW YORK – It was a doubleheader with a little of both. The Jimmy V Classic featured one lopsided game followed by a close, down to the wire affair.

Scores:

Georgetown 64, Texas 41
NC State 69, UCONN 65

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Legends wrapup: Indiana takes the title and a box score analysis

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – It’s time for a closer look at the Progressive Legends Classic final night at the Barclays Center.

CONSOLATION:

UCLA 60, Georgia 56

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A brief look at the numbers in Georgetown’s win over UCLA

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Georgetown defeated eleventh-ranked UCLA to advance to the Legends Classic championship game. The 78-70 victory is broken down in tempo free numbers. In a 71-possession game the efficiencies were:

Georgetown 110
UCLA 99

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Big East: UCONN-Syracuse Boxscore Breakdown and notes….

NEW YORK – Thursday afternoon’s analytical note is a box score breakdown from the Syracuse quarterfinal victory over UCONN. The Huskies won their first two in the tournament. From that, talk circulated regarding a run like last year’s that wound up with the Big East title. It was not to be as Syracuse prevailed.

A look at the key numbers from the game:

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Tempo-free: Bonnies, Seton Hall and eFG percentage

BRONX, N.Y. – Shooting cures a number of ailments. It should be emphasized, accurate shooting. St. Bonaventure improved to 8-5 in Atlantic Ten play with an 89-63 victory over Fordham on Wednesday. The loss dropped the Rams to 2-11 in conference.

For starters, we take a look at the key offensive numbers in this one:

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Plenty of teams prepare to jockey for seeding, selection tonight

In the immortal words of the Black Eyed peas, tonight’s gonna be a good night.

There are 40 teams in action tonight, and more than half of them are likely to appear in the NCAA Tournament or seriously challenge for their conference’s automatic bid. We’ve got elite powers like Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio State in addition to upstarts that could make life miserable for those powerhouses, such as Vermont, Valparaiso and Cleveland State.

Here’s some of the top games to track tonight. … Continue Reading

Georgetown is not playing like a young team

WASHINGTON – It can be easy to forget that Georgetown is a young team, although at this stage of the season their young players have some games under their belt. But from the outset, this team has played more like a veteran team than one would expect a team with 10 freshmen and sophomores, and the bottom line reflects a team that has learned a lot about how to win. It’s a team whose intangibles say a lot about their success.

The Hoyas have balance and are solid at both ends of the floor, and they have bought into the offensive system. In some ways, Saturday’s 71-61 win over St. John’s reflected it very well, because they were up against a defense that forced them to make basketball plays, as head coach John Thompson III noted.

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