A return to greatness for Ewing and his Hoyas
Eighth-seeded squad completes Big East run to clinch NCAA berth
NEW YORK — Patrick Ewing climbed the ladder — only a few steps needed for the 7-footer — clipped the last string and held the net high.
Georgetown is the Big East champion again, with the greatest Hoya of them all leading the way.
Ewing is taking his team back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015 after the eighth-seeded Hoyas completed a surprising run to a Big East crown Saturday night with a stunning 73-48 rout of No. 17 Creighton.
On the 49th anniversary of the day Georgetown hired John Thompson, the late Hall of Fame coach who transformed the program into a national power and one of the most iconic brands in college basketball, the Hoyas won their record eighth Big East tournament title and first since 2007.
Was it fate? Destiny? Maybe Big John, who died in August at age 78, is smiling down on now-Coach Ewing and his Hoyas?
“I think so,” Ewing said. Georgetown won with a dominant performance inside Madison Square Garden, reminiscent of Ewing’s playing days for the Hoyas.
The Hoyas (13-12) closed the first half on a 23-2 run that put them up 18 at the break against second-seeded Creighton (20-8). Then they started the second half with a 16-3 spurt. Chudier Bile knocked down a 3-pointer — holding the follow through for a beat — with 14:58 left that made it 52-21.
Ewing called it a huge step for a program that’s struggled to recapture old glory, and which began this season picked to finish last in the Big East.
“A lot of people discredited, talked bad about us. We believed in ourselves. We worked hard. We fought hard,” he said.
Ewing wondered aloud earlier this week if they had forgotten him at MSG. He complained that security asked to see his credentials as he was moving around the building where he starred for the New York Knicks and his No. 33 jersey hangs from the rafters.
Ewing said this championship was “right up there” with his greatest moments at the Garden.
“Different chapter of my life,”
he said.
Bile matched a season high with 19 points and Jahvon Blair had 18
for Georgetown. After missing 12 of their first 14 shots, the Hoyas finished shooting 46.6% from the
floor.
Marcus Zegarowski scored 17 points to lead Creighton.