UNC Greensboro vs. Georgetown 2016 final score: What we learned from the Hoyas 78-56 win

Georgetown improves to 8-4 on the season following their 78-56 victory over UNC Greensboro on Thursday night.

In a game where they seldom trailed following the opening salvo, the Hoyas took care of business in their final tuneup before Big East play. Their nonconference slate may not be over as they will welcome UConn to D.C. in January, but for now, focus will shift over to taking down their conference peers.

Thursday night’s encounter was a breakout for sophomore Jessie Govan. The second-year big man from Queens Village, New York posted 20 points, matching his previous season high that he put up on November 17 in an ill-fated loss to Arkansas State. Govan was efficient, shooting 9-for-13 from the field and made both of the 3-point attempts he took.

Three other Hoyas complemented Govan’s double digit efforts as Rodney Pryor, L.J. Peak and Marcus Derrickson joined the big man in double figures with 12, 12 and 13 points respectively. Overall, Georgetown shot 48.9 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from the 3-point arc on 17 attempts.

What we learned

No close calls in nonconference play anymore

The biggest difference between Georgetown last year and Georgetown this year is that they seem to have completely righted the ship and there’s a lack of close calls. In last year’s nonconference slate (excluding the UConn game), Georgetown’s average margin of victory was just 13 points with three single-digit victories.

This year though seems to represent a bit of difference however. Entering Thursday night’s game, the Hoyas’ nonconference victories came by an average MOV of 19.86, and the win over UNC Greensboro props it up to over 20 points. There were still three single-digit wins for the Hoyas in nonconference play, but the overall body of work overshadows them this time around, and Georgetown fans are probably pleased about that if nothing else.

Jessie Govan continues to get it going

Govan has been on a roll since dropping 13 points against Elon. He’s scored in double figures in each game since, with this 20-point performance being the high mark. It’s good news for Georgetown that he’s getting it going with Big East play looming ahead, as they’ll need every bit of him and his successes if they want to string together more wins. So far, it seems like they’re going to get exactly that.

Do we know a lot about Georgetown?

It seems that the Hoyas have gotten their act together following their dreadful 1-2 start to the year. Especially so when you consider the fact that they have seldom struggled and have put together a nice six-game win streak heading into the Marquette game next Wednesday. That will be a good road test for them, and likely will tell us lots given MU’s defensive deficiencies.