Hoyas hurt UW after half
No. 15 Georgetown uses bulk to pull away at Wooden Classic
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Isaiah Thomas slipped into the paint and tried one of his patented body-bending layups that usually works so well. Georgetown’s Julian Vaughn smoothly stretched across the 5-foot-8 Washington guard’s body to swat it away.
Georgetown was just too imposing for the Huskies in the Wooden Classic – and the hulking Hoyas should be looking increasingly scary to their Big East basketball foes back home as well.
Vaughn scored a career-high 18 points, and No. 15 Georgetown pulled away in the second half for its second victory over a ranked opponent in five days, beating No. 17 Washington 74-66 on Saturday.
“Our guys do a really good job of figuring out where we have an advantage, and tonight it was Jules,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said.
Greg Monroe had 15 points and seven rebounds for the Hoyas (8-0), who scored 12 straight points after halftime during a 21-2 run. Playing more than 2,600 miles from home, the impressive surge blew open a previously tight game in the annual doubleheader held to honor John Wooden, UCLA’s famed 99-year-old coach.
The game also appeared to be a breakout moment for Vaughn, a junior who transferred from Florida State. The 6-9 forward did little for the Hoyas last season, and he’s the only starter averaging fewer than 12 points per game this season.
Thomas scored 15 of his 21 points after halftime for the Huskies (6-2) while leading a late 15-3 run. Washington couldn’t close a 20-point deficit in the stiffest challenge of both teams’ young seasons.
Quincy Pondexter, the only senior on either roster, scored 23 points for the Huskies, who haven’t beaten a Big East team in 20 years. UW, which made 25 turnovers, lost at Texas Tech last week in the defending Pac-10 champions’ only game away from Seattle before this weekend.
“We let up a little bit,” Pondexter said. “That’s all it takes to lose these games. Any slippage or breakdown on the defensive end can cost you.”
Washington’s biggest problem is still balance: Pondexter and Thomas excelled, but no other Washington player scored more than five points.
“Our other guys have to find a rhythm and shoot the ball more confidently,” Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar said. “These guys have to come out and be aggressive. (Pondexter and Thomas) have been carrying the scoring load whether we were at home or on the road.”