Hoyas cruise to victory over Alabama A&M

The Georgetown Hoyas defeated the Alabama A&M Bulldogs 89-49 on Saturday afternoon at the Capital One Arena.

With the win, the Hoyas enter Big East play with the conference’s third-best record, trailing only No. 9 Xavier (12-1) and No. 1 Villanova (12-0). In a nonconference stretch that featured just one road game and several weak opponents, the Hoyas avoided any bad losses, and now sit just four wins away from matching last season’s win total.

Balanced scoring was the name of the game for Georgetown in the first half. Each of the team’s first four field goals came from four different players. All nine who saw action in the half recorded at least one field goal, with Jamorko Pickett leading all scorers with seven points. Alabama A&M, meanwhile, struggled to score, shooting just 32 percent from the field and 30 percent from deep in the half.

“That’s what it’s gonna have to take,” Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing said of the team’s balance. “In order for us to be successful, especially when the Big East starts, teams are gonna load up on [Jessie Govan]. So it’s gonna take a balanced scoring effort from everyone to win.”

The teams exchanged baskets in the opening minutes of the game before a Jonathan Mulmore layup at the 15 minute mark put the Hoyas up for good. While Alabama A&M managed to stay within striking distance, Georgetown used its athleticism and size advantages to take control. Two 3-pointers from Jahvon Blair within a two minute stretch midway through the half gave the Hoyas a 14-point lead, which would balloon to as many as 25. De’Ederick Petty, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer, drilled a mid-range jumper before the half to cut the Hoyas’ lead down to 44-21.

Govan asserted himself to open the second half, corralling several offensive rebounds for easy put-back layups. From there, Georgetown controlled the game with defensive pressure and transition buckets. They maintained a lead 20-plus points for the remainder of the game. Jagan Mosely provided a replay-worthy layup with 9:44 remaining, faking a behind-the-back pass before scooping in a layup, much to the delight of the home crowd.

With a sizable lead in hand and his role players showing poise, Ewing rested the majority of his starters in the game’s closing eight minutes. Antwan Walker, the team’s lone non-starting frontcourt player on scholarship, impressed during this stretch, as he ran the floor in transition and finished in a variety of ways around the rim. Trey Dickerson also made the most of his minutes, recording six assists and no turnovers.

“[Antwan] did a great job,” Ewing said. “He gave us a great big lift... All of the effort things: running the floor, effort plays, rebounding, just effort. That’s what we need out of him. He’s gotta be able to do all of those type of things.”

Antwan Walker led the Hoyas with 16 points and four rebounds, while Jahvon Blair added 13 points.

Georgetown will have four days to rest before hosting Butler (10-3, Big East) on Wednesday, Dec. 27 in both teams’ first conference game.

“The Big East is the Big East. I’m looking forward to it,” said Ewing.

“I think we’re real confident,” Govan said of starting conference play. “We’re ready to prove a lot of people wrong. You know, we’re just gonna try to go and win every game. That’s our mindset.”