THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 22, 1996 TAG: 9603220675
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Georgetown put an end to the nation's longest winning streak Thursday night in a game that, at times, looked as if it might never end.
The second-seeded Hoyas advanced to Saturday's East Regional final by dispatching Texas Tech and its 23-game winning streak 98-90 at the Georgia Dome. The game lasted two hours, 35 minutes and featured a combined 81 free-throw attempts.
Texas Tech's 35 personal fouls tied for the third-most ever in a regional game, and the teams' combined 59 fouls was the second most in a regional game. In the last 34 years, only Navy in 1986 has attempted more foul shots in an East Regional game than Georgetown's 46.
``The officials were calling a lot of fouls on both teams because both of us are very aggressive teams,'' Hoyas coach John Thompson said. ``The game seemed like it never would end. It wasn't always pretty, but (we) won. That's what this is all about, it's not about beauty.''
Only Arizona, with 91, had scored more points this season on the Hoyas, who hold opponents to an average of 67.7 per game.
``At halftime I told our kids `We play in the Big East, we're used to tough basketball games,' ''
Thompson said. ``But they are athletic. They were going to the boards well, and they shoot the ball extremely well. I didn't think we were as aggressive as we should have been, on the defensive boards in particular.''
Georgetown sophomore All-American point guard Allen Iverson was not as sharp as normal, but still scored 32 points on 10-of-29 shooting and had five assists and five steals.
``I was just missing my shots,'' Iverson said. ``They were defensively good, too, but I took some shots that I think I'm capable of making.''
Iverson scored six points and had a couple of steals in a 17-0 Georgetown run that helped turn the tide in the Hoyas' favor.
``The first half, I was a little excited,'' said Iverson. ``My teammates talked to me at halftime and told me to settle down and I was able to get my game up to another level.''
Georgetown center Othella Harrington also stepped up with 23 points - more than double his average - on 10-of-13 shooting in 27 foul-plagued minutes. Iverson's backcourt mate, Victor Page, added 17 points.
The Hoyas trailed by three at halftime and then took control of the game with a 17-0 run midway through the second half to claim a 72-61 lead with 9:39 remaining. During the run, Georgetown made 6 of 8 from the field and 5 of 8 from the line while the Red Raiders went 6:13 without a field goal (0 for 4) and committed five turnovers.
Texas Tech (30-2) spurted back, however, as Cory Carr made a 3-pointer and Koy Smith hit a pair of treys. The Red Raiders cut the margin to 77-76 when Carr made a pair of free throws with 4:11 remaining.
``We couldn't get away from them,'' Thompson said. ``We'd break it open, they'd come back; we'd break it open, they'd come back. They had great stamina.''
The Hoyas (29-7) answered with another run, this time a 9-0 number that gave them an 86-76 lead with two minutes remaining.
In the game's final three minutes, Georgetown shot 20 free throws and 15 of its final 19 points came from the line.
``We had a great run this year,'' said Texas Tech's Jason Sasser, who led his team with 25 points. ``We had a chance to win the ballgame. Any time you have to play from behind against Georgetown it's really hard. We just ran out of gas and Georgetown kept sticking it to us.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color ASSOCIATED PRESS photo<
At left, Texas Tech guard Jason Martin finds his path to the basket
blocked by Georgetown center Othella Harrington.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Georgetown's Allen Iverson spikes the ball in exultation after his
32-point, five-assist, five-steal performance and a Hoyas win.
by CNB