Georgetown Outlasts Campbell in Shootout

The Georgetown Hoyas (5-1, Big East) returned to the Capital One Arena after a two-week road trip and defeated the visiting Campbell Fighting Camels (3-3, Big South) on Saturday afternoon, 93-85. Chris Clemons, the nation’s leading scorer, shot 16-for-28 en route to a season-high 45 points. Trey Mourning recorded his first career double-double for the Hoyas, scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, both of which were career highs. James Akinjo added 17 points and four assists while committing a season-low one turnover in the win.

Mourning opened the game by splitting a pair of free throws after 17 seconds of action, spurring a 10-0 Georgetown run. After a Campbell timeout, Clemons went to work, scoring five points on the Camels’ next two possessions, while Trey Spencer drilled a three-pointer shortly after to cut the Georgetown lead to two points, 12-10. Mac McClung made his second three-pointer of the game, doubling his season total, midway through the half to give the Hoyas a more comfortable lead. They would lead by as many as 16 points in the half after an and-one layup from Mourning, who finished through contact after fighting for one of his seven offensive rebounds on the day. But Clemons and the Camels would not go away quietly, as his alley-oop dunk made it a six-point affair with 2:16 to play. Just as the Hoyas were going cold from the field, James Akinjo provided clutch points to end the half. The freshman scored five points in the final minute to reassert the Hoyas’ dominance, leading his team to a 47-33 halftime lead.

The Hoyas maintained a steady double-digit lead for the first 17 minutes of second half, but they were unable to pull away due to Clemons’s offensive onslaught. He scored 27 points in the half, including 18 in the final 10:08 of regulation. Though the Hoyas were nursing a large lead, they often rushed into three-point shots down the stretch as Campbell employed fullcourt pressure. Georgetown shot just 2-for-12 from deep in the second half, but Mourning provided a steady offensive presence, scoring 14 points in the half. The Blue & Gray stifled any would-be comeback effort from the Camels by hitting 12-of-14 free throws in the second half.

The Hoyas, who have struggled to protect the ball all season, recorded just eight turnovers in the game. Akinjo and Josh LeBlanc each recorded one, while fellow freshman McClung commit any. As a team, Georgetown made 83 percent of its free throws and 49 percent of its field goal attempts. It was an efficient offensive day for the Hoyas, which was a welcome sign for fans who saw the team struggle on that end of the floor in their trip to Jamaica.

Georgetown will host Richmond (2-3, Atlantic 10) on Wednesday in the nation’s capital. The Hoyas and Spiders will tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET.