Posted by Evan Hollander …

Mar 30 2013
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By Evan Hollander Big East, NCAA Tournament, That School in New York

Orange Prevail in Elite Eight, Set for Atlanta

In a battle of two Big East teams, Syracuse (30-9) trounced Marquette (26-8) 55-39 in an ugly NCAA East Regional final at Verizon Center on Saturday afternoon.

The No. 4-seeded Orange, who defeated Indiana in the Sweet 16 Thursday, again flustered their opponent with aggressive defense, holding the Golden Eagles to a miserable 22.6 percent shooting from the floor and containing junior forward Davante Gardner, who had been a thorn in Syracuse’s side during the team’s only regular season meeting, to 14 points. Continue reading →

Mar 29 2013
By Evan Hollander Men's Basketball, NCAA Tournament, That School in New York

Syracuse Trounces Indiana, Sets up Marquette Rematch

When Syracuse played at Verizon Center three weeks ago, a Georgetown defensive lockdown saw the Orange escape with just 39 points on the afternoon. On Thursday night in the NCAA East Regional semifinals, they had almost that many by halftime.

No. 4 seed ‘Cuse (29-9) took care of business against No. 1 seed Indiana (29-7) in the Sweet 16, flustering the Hoosiers into 18 turnovers and holding one of the nation’s top three-point shooting teams to just 20 percent from beyond the arc en route to a 61-50 victory.

Sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams, who was the only significant contributor in Syracuse’s loss to Georgetown at Verizon Center, paced the Orange with 24 points on Thursday night. And MCW was complemented against Indiana by senior guard Brandon Triche and junior forward C.J. Fair, who had 14 and 11 points, respectively.

The Hoosiers led only once in the ballgame — at 3-2 very early in the first half — and trailed by 12 at the intermission. Despite combining for 29 points, both junior guard Victor Oladipo and senior forward Christian Watford had uncharacteristic off-nights against the vaunted Syracuse zone. Perhaps worst of all, freshman guard Yogi Ferrell never reached the scoreboard at all.

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Mar 09 2013
By Evan Hollander Basketball

Georgetown Juices ‘Cuse in Rivalry’s Final Game

In a rivalry that began when John Thompson Jr. declared Manley Field House “officially closed,” Georgetown didn’t just write the final chapter but firmly closed the book with a 61-39 rout of Syracuse on Saturday afternoon at Verizon Center.

By finishing with a 14-4 record in the Big East, the Hoyas secured a share of the conference regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. In a ceremony after the game, Head Coach John Thompson III led the remaining crowd in a “We Are Georgetown” chant.

Rebounding from a 67-57 loss at Villanova Wednesday, Georgetown’s backcourt came ready to play and managed to overcome a quiet game — at least in the points column — from sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr., who was named a Wooden Award finalist just before tip-off.

Junior point guard Markel Starks led the way with 19 points and five assists, including five three-pointers. Freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, who likewise killed the Orange from behind the arc, had a huge all-around day with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

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Mar 09 2013
By Evan Hollander Big East, Men's Basketball, That School in New York

Hoyas Lead Orange 25-18 At Halftime

With only a handful of empty seats in the building, Georgetown got off to a hot start in the final rendition of its rivalry with Syracuse at Verizon Center Saturday afternoon.

A strong showing by Georgetown’s backcourt carried the Hoyas to a 25-18 halftime lead over the Orange. Freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera scored 11 points — nine of them on three three-point daggers — and junior point guard Markel Starks chipped in eight points, including two big treys.

The biggest surprise of the first half may have been the sluggish performance of sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr., the favorite for Big East player of the year. Although he played strong defense in 20 minutes on the floor, Porter Jr. didn’t get on the scoreboard until he knocked down a pair of free throws with 23.9 seconds left in the half.

Despite enduring chants of “Lord and Taylor,” referring to a shoplifting incident earlier this season, sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams was Syracuse’s leading scorer in the half, scoring seven points. Junior forward C.J. Fair had five points for the Orange.

Mar 09 2013
By Evan Hollander Big East, Men's Basketball, That School in New York

The Best Signs of Saturday Morning

As Georgetown prepares to take on Syracuse at noon, we’ve visited student sections on both sides of the Phone Booth to track down the day’s best signs.

Georgetown sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr. was the subject of numerous signs, including this one asking him for "one more year."

Georgetown sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr. was the subject of numerous signs, including this one asking him for “one more year.”

Bathrobes were popular at Verizon Saturday morning, mocking Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams' shoplifting allegation.

Bathrobes were popular at Verizon Saturday morning, mocking Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams’ shoplifting allegation.

As usual, the Stonewalls in section 118 had some of the best signs, including another one praising Porter Jr.

As usual, the Stonewalls in section 118 had some of the best signs, including another one praising Porter Jr.

The Stonewalls also riffed off the game that started the rivalry with this sign referring to Manley Field House.

The Stonewalls also riffed off the game that started the rivalry with this sign referring to Manley Field House.

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Feb 02 2013
By Evan Hollander Men's Basketball, Polls

With Two Wins on the Week, Hoyas Set to Enter Rankings

With a win over St. John’s Saturday afternoon, it looks likely that the Hoyas will return to the Associated Press’ Top 25 for the first time since Jan. 7, when they were ranked No. 19. Not only did Georgetown notch two Big East wins this week, several of the other teams vying with the Blue and Gray for a spot in the rankings faltered.

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