Georgetown Pummeled by Virginia Commonwealth, 74-56

For the second year in a row, the Georgetown Hoyas saw a promising NCAA tournament run end in embarrassing fashion, as the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Rams stunned Georgetown, 74-56, in second-round action on March 18.

The Hoyas were paced by sophomore forward Hollis Thompson’s career-high 26 points in a game that was reminiscent of Georgetown’s first-round, upset loss to Ohio University last year.

“Stating the obvious, it’s easy to compare,” Georgetown head coach John Thompson III said. “It’s the first round and a difficult loss. It hurts.” 

The game was billed as a triumphant return to the lineup for senior guard Chris Wright, who broke his right hand against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Feb. 23. Without him, Georgetown had lost four straight games, scoring 60 or more points only once.

But Wright contributed very little against VCU, as he struggled along with the rest of the team. The Hoyas shot only 38.5 percent from the field, including an anemic 5-of-26 from behind the three-point line. 

In contrast, VCU was 12-of-25 from behind the arc, including six three-pointers from senior guard Brandon Rozzell. who finished with 26 points.

The loss marked a disappointing end for the college careers of Wright and fellow senior guard Austin Freeman. The two former McDonald’s All-Americans will leave Georgetown with only one NCAA tournament win in their four years.