Miami Moves On; Defeats Georgetown In OT, 84-76
March 7, 2002
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By JIM O’CONNELL
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK – Miami is in the Big East tournament semifinals again. Georgetown must wait to learn its next postseason stop.
Marcus Barnes scored five of his career-high 27 points in overtime, and the 20th-ranked Hurricanes beat the Hoyas 84-76 Thursday to reach the semifinals for the third time in four years.
The Hurricanes (24-6) will play No. 7 Pittsburgh – which beat Boston College 76-62 – on Friday for a berth in the title game.
“This tournament is like a family reunion, and you always want to show the family you’re pretty good,” Miami coach Perry Clark said. “I just thought you saw two basketball teams going after each other, playing as hard as they could, and we were fortunate enough to come out with the victory.”
The loss might have dealt a severe blow to the Hoyas’ chances of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Georgetown (19-11), which beat Providence 68-67 in the opening round, has one victory over a non-Division I team this season and, despite having won four straight entering this game, doesn’t fare well in the computer rankings.
The Hoyas are 0-4 in overtime games this season, including a loss to Notre Dame in four OTs.
“This is the same feeling I’ve had too many times this season,” Georgetown coach Craig Esherick said. “We’re going to have three long days until Sunday. We have put our destiny into someone else’s hands. It’s a helpless feeling and for three days that is all we’re going to be thinking about: ‘Is the committee going to pick us?’
“I certainly think we played well enough to deserve a bid, but I also know that I would have felt a whole lot better about that decision if we had won this game.”
Wesley Wilson led the Hoyas with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Barnes, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, finished 6-for-10 from 3-point range. The last of his 3s came with 12:42 left and gave Miami a 52-48 lead.
Georgetown took advantage of a sudden cold spell by the Hurricanes to go on a 10-0 run and take a 63-53 lead with 7:44 left on two free throws by Harvey Thomas.
“Coach teaches us to stay in the game and keep focused. You know it’s going to come back around,” Miami’s Darius Rice said. “I wasn’t worried.”
Rice, who finished with 18 points, became Miami’s offensive key down the stretch, hitting three of his four 3-pointers in a 2{-minute span, the last tying the game 68-68 with 2:31 left.
The score was 70-70 entering the final minute of regulation and it seemed neither team wanted to win.
Georgetown called a timeout with 51 seconds left, but John Salmons intercepted Thomas’ inbounds pass and was fouled with 36 seconds left. He made both free throws.
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Kevin Braswell converted a spin move in the lane with 27 seconds left to tie it. Salmons was tied up inside by Mike Sweetney with 16 seconds left and the possession arrow was in favor of Georgetown.
The Hoyas didn’t take long to turn it over, though, as Courtland Freeman’s crosscourt pass went off Tony Bethel’s hands and out of bounds.
Miami’s last chance at a win in regulation was an airball 3-point attempt by Rice at the buzzer.
Barnes gave Miami the lead for good at 76-74 with 2:58 to go, and the Hurricanes closed it out by going 8-for-10 on free throws. Georgetown failed to score on its last six possessions.
“I thought Marcus Barnes’ play throughout the course of the game was critical,” Clark said. “In the second half, late in the game, Darius came alive and put us in a position to come back and win.”
Salmons finished with six points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Gerald Riley had 15 points for the Hoyas, while Sweetney added 14, and Braswell 12.
Esherick wouldn’t blame any players for the late turnovers in regulation.
“We were up by 10. There were all sorts of plays that permitted Miami to get back into the game,” he said.
