Green, Hoyas top men

It has been a familiar theme this season. The UC men's basketball team once again played hard and once again had its stretches of great play.

However, in the end, the Bearcats just didn't have enough to get over the hump, and fell to the Georgetown Hoyas 75-65.

"I think this is the hardest we've played in a while," head coach Mick Cronin said. "They're as hard a team to guard as anyone I've coached against because they can hurt you in so many ways."

If it was a boxing match, the Hoyas would have absorbed the Cats' 10 minute opening fury and proceeded to keep UC at bay with a jab for the final 30 minutes.

"They're a good team," freshman guard Deonta Vaughn said. "They're the best team in the conference right now. They executed real well."

Vaughn led UC with 19 points, while Georgetown junior Jeff Green was as good as advertised, scoring 21 points in smooth fashion.

Both teams exchanged 3-point baskets to begin the game. UC had a change in its starting lineup with junior Tim Crowell starting in stead of junior Jamual Warren.

"There was no difference," Vaughn said. "He's a great defensive player and he's learning to just step up and shoot that open three."

Vaughn started out hot with a three and a pull-up jump shot in transition. The Bearcats were able to slow down the Hoyas early with a 2-3 zone.

Junior Marvin Gentry hit a 3-pointer on a fast break to put UC up 11-5 just over four minutes into the contest. The Bearcats kept up the hot shooting early as junior Marcus Sikes knocked in three followed by another Gentry 3-pointer.

The Bearcats used their scrambling style of play to their advantage in the first half, but the Hoyas began hitting outside shots and pulled to within four at 26-22 with just under six minutes remaining in the half.

Georgetown freshman Jeremiah Rivers came in off the bench and immediately was left wide open to sink two-straight 3-pointers to put the Hoyas ahead at halftime.

A senior Cedric McGowan trey early in the second half was followed up by a Bearcats steal. Vaughn then made a high-arching floater over 7-foot-2 junior center Roy Hibbert to cut the deficit to 42-39 with 14:45 left in the game.

Georgetown began pulling away with 10 minutes remaining. The main culprit was sophomore Jesse Sapp, who was able to get to the basket on two-straight occasions to extend the lead to 54-43.

The Bearcats kept clawing back though. A dunk by junior John Williamson with seven minutes left made the score 58-51.

The referees called the game tighter in the second half and both teams were in bonus with six minutes remaining, making it a free throw contest down the stretch.

UC was able to hang around, mostly due to Vaughn free throws, and were down just nine with 4:20 remaining. In the ensuing possession, Green hit a three in the corner to increase their cushion to 12 and that was all she wrote.

"Any great upset from a team out-manned physically in the game of basketball has to limit the other team's possessions, play extremely smart on the offensive end and maximize every time you get the ball and we didn't do that," Cronin said.