And regardless of a number of alternatives in the closing seconds, the Hoyas ended their season with a 57-53 loss to Seton Hall to shut out a 6-25 marketing campaign on a program-worst 21-game dropping streak.
Georgetown is the primary Big East event defending champion to lose its first sport the next yr since West Virginia in 2011.
Ewing was reluctant to talk about his future after the loss.
“It’s been a rough year, can’t do anything rash,” the coach mentioned. “Just got to take a few days to regroup, think about what we want to do and then start the process. … I’m not going to make any rash decisions.”
Ewing referred to as a timeout with 15.6 seconds remaining, trailing by two. Donald Carey got here out of the break and drove the ball to the basket and threw a wild move to Kaiden Rice in a kick-out try, the ball flying out of bounds as Rice dove to the ground to put it aside. It was the kind of possession that encapsulated the Hoyas’ irritating season.
“We still had opportunities. We just weren’t able to overcome them,” Ewing mentioned. “So I have to be proud of them, proud of the effort. We’ve just got to regroup.”
Seton Hall guard Jamir Harris arrange the drama by burying a three-pointer from the highest of the arc with 40 seconds remaining to give the Pirates a 55-53 lead. Collin Holloway missed a three-pointer on the following possession and Carey’s layup was blocked.
“It was amazing,” mentioned Harris, from close by East Brunswick, N.J. “Just to be able to knock down that shot for my teammates and my brothers. … Hearing the crowd go crazy for us. … Being from Jersey I always have a chip on my shoulder.”
The Hoyas grew to become the primary workforce in Big East historical past to go 0-19 in convention play. Their final victory got here on Dec. 15. Their report might have been calamitous, however two losses to Seton Hall got here by a mixed 12 factors.
Prior historical past predicted a aggressive sport although expectations for this roster had been as little as might get. Ewing mentioned earlier in the week that the one factor he realized about his workforce although all of the losses was that they’d proceed to combat. The Hoyas definitely fought and had to achieve this with out place to begin guard Dante Harris for many of the sport after he injured his proper leg halfway via the primary half.
The second half noticed a number of lead adjustments as the 2 groups went forwards and backwards in a gritty sport that wasn’t fairly, however had the followers in the Garden on their ft.
Aminu Mohammed led Georgetown with 12 factors and 10 rebounds, and Carey added 11 factors. Holloway additionally chipped in 11 factors.
Jared Rhoden scored a game-high 17 factors and Myles Cade posted 14 for Seton Hall (21-9).
Georgetown took a 27-24 lead into halftime after a uneven first half in which neither workforce shot the ball effectively or did a lot to handle it. The Hoyas shot simply 30.3 p.c from the sector in the opening 20 minutes; Seton Hall was at 33.3 p.c. The begin was ugly as Ewing took a timeout lower than two minutes into the sport because the Hoyas had two early turnovers and had been 0 for six from the sector.
That’s when freshman Mohammed took over for a stretch. He scored six straight factors and Georgetown went on a 13-0 run to take a nine-point lead. All of these good emotions disappeared quickly after when Harris, the 2021 Big East event most excellent participant, collapsed in the lane after twisting his ankle on the 11:39 mark of the primary half. He instantly went to the locker room, helped off by trainers and never placing any weight on his proper foot. He didn’t return.
Harris’s alternative, freshman Tyler Beard scored 5 factors throughout a 9-2 stretch that gave Georgetown its greatest lead at 27-17. The downside was the Hoyas couldn’t shut the half with any momentum. Seton Hall completed on a 7-0 run that included two shot clock violations by Georgetown that had Ewing coming all the way in which on the courtroom to scream at Carey to shoot the ball after he handed it late in each situations.