Despite an outstanding effort by junior Nick Hendra and company, the AU men’s basketball team fell 73-46 against neighboring Georgetown on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Though it is hard to imagine a quality 27-point loss, the Eagles certainly looked like an improved team against the No. 14 Hoyas at the Verizon Center.
Hendra led all players with 14 points, recorded a team-high nine rebounds and chipped in four assists in the loss. Riley Grafft and Daniel Munoz tallied eight points apiece for the balanced AU attack, while sophomore Stephen Lumpkins struggled and finished 1-17 from the field and collected a season-low four rebounds. Henry Sims and Chris Wright led the Hoyas with 12 points each and reigning Big East rookie of the year Greg Monroe finished with nine points and 13 boards.
“With our team, we’re looking for baby steps, and we certainly took a couple today," AU Head Coach Jeff Jones said after the game.
Although Georgetown’s Julian Vaugh tallied the first bucket of the game, a quick Blake Jolivette three-pointer and pair of layups gave the Eagles a slim 7-6 lead with 14 minutes left in the first half. Unfortunately for AU, this was their last lead of the game. The Hoyas caught fire from behind the arc, draining two threes, before Jason Clark turned a steal into a powerful dunk, giving Georgetown a seven point advantage with 10:43 remaining.
Hendra collected five boards and totaled 11 points, half of AU’s total, in the first half alone. A wide open three pointer by Grafft in the closing seconds silenced the home crowd entering halftime. Although Georgetown appeared in control, they only led by nine going into the break.
“We got some pretty good shots, that’s a positive,” Jones said. “We didn’t convert or they kept us from converting. They have a great inside-outside balance and have the potential to be one of the top teams in the country.”
As it has been all season, this game was the tale of two halves. American has been outscored 306-254 in the second half this year and Saturday’s clash with the Hoyas followed a similar trend. The more experienced Georgetown squad exploded out of the half with a 16-4 run in the first five minutes. Monroe took control of the paint on both ends of the floor, picking up five boards and two blocks while limiting AU big men Grafft and Lumpkins to only one basket and three rebounds combined in the second half.
The Hoyas' lead grew to 20 points with a little over 11 minutes left and then to 31 with 7:24 remaining. A late but meaningless charge at the end brought the margin back down to 27. The game ended with AU losing 73-46.
“They’re big, they’re long, they’re athletic, and we haven’t faced that kind of team this season,” AU freshman Daniel Munoz said of the Hoyas. “But we’ll be facing a couple more like them this season, so hopefully this loss will prepare us for teams like Florida and Penn State.”
Several AU players made their first appearances of this season on Saturday, showing that they too can contribute. Australian freshman Daniel Fisher picked up his second collegiate basket, fellow freshman Jeff Holton nabbed a rebound and returning sophomore Joe Hill knocked down his first three of the year.
A new face is set to join the Eagles on Dec. 16 against DePaul: junior transfer Vlad Moldoveanu. Moldoveanu led the Romanian national team in scoring during the 2009 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifying Tournament last summer, averaging 18.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
“I think [Moldoveanu] will make a difference,” Jones said. “He’s our best shooter, best post player, and I think he can be a settler for this team. It’s unfair to place too much pressure on him, but he will help.”
The Eagles now face a tough road schedule over the winter holiday and will face Penn State University, University of Florida, Brown University and Columbia University all away from Bender Arena. They will then open up their conference schedule at Lehigh and at Bucknell before returning home to battle Colgate on Jan.16.
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
