Field Level Media
Dec 22, 2018
Mac McClung scored a game-high 38 points as Georgetown defeated visiting Little Rock 102-94 in overtime on Saturday afternoon at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
The Hoyas led throughout the final minutes of regulation before Little Rock's Ryan Pippins sank a 30-foot three-pointer as time ran out -- his only basket of regulation -- to tie the score at 84 and force overtime. Georgetown was up by eight a few minutes before but the Hoyas could not hold on against the stubborn Trojans.
But in the overtime, McClung, a freshman guard, made a jumper that gave Georgetown the lead for good, and classmate James Akinjo followed with two free throws. Kaleb Johnson added two more for a 94-89 lead with 1:28 left.
McClung then drilled a 3-pointer and a free throw for a 98-90 lead with 45 seconds remaining. Little Rock did not score a basket in the final 3:02 as Georgetown (9-3) pulled away.
Akinjo finished with 25 points and seven assists and kept making big plays. Georgetown used an 8-0 burst late in the second half to take an eight-point lead before the Trojans rallied.
Little Rock (5-8) has dropped two in a row and four of its last five. Nikola Maric, a 6-foot-10 freshman forward, led Little Rock with 27 points, and Markquis Nowell added 24.
This was the first meeting between the two schools, but there is a connection. Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing and Little Rock coach Darrell Walker were teammates on the New York Knicks in the mid-1980s. In addition, Georgetown assistant coach Louis Orr played on that team.
The game was deadlocked at 30 but the Trojans reeled off 14 in a row a little later, including seven from Maric, for a 50-43 lead.
Georgetown rallied and got the final six points of the half, but the Trojans still held a 52-51 lead at the break as Maric had 16. McClung (17) and Akinjo (16) topped the Hoyas.
The game remained close in the second half as both teams struggled shooting, and Georgetown battled through foul problems. Still, the Hoyas pushed ahead by three midway through the second half before Little Rock bounced back again and scored five straight for a 66-64 lead.
--Field Level Media