It was fitting with the game on the line, down one, Patrick Ewing put the ball in the hands of Washington, DC native Dante Harris. It was also fitting that Harris was able to drive, force contact and draw the foul with 5 seconds remaining.
Facing immense pressure, the freshman Harris bounced in the first free throw to tie the game at 71-71. He then knocked down the second to give Georgetown the lead 72-71 over Villanova. A desperation three by Caleb Daniels missed it’s mark at the buzzer, clinching the upset win for Georgetown over Villanova, the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament.
Villanova’s streak of three-straight Big East Tournament championships ended.
Harris’ pair of free throws sealed an afternoon of perfection at the charity stripe for Georgetown. The Hoyas (11-12) were a perfect 23-of-23 from the free throw line. Villanova (16-6) was 14-of-22 from the line.
Georgetown’s final three points were made free throws. The Hoyas used grit as well to take down the Wildcats in Madison Square Garden. They held a 37-35 lead at halftime, but the fight of the three-time defending champions turned the tide in the second half.
Villanova went on an impressive run and controlled the pace of the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Wildcats led 58-48 with 10:20 left. But, Ewing’s feisty group didn’t let up.
Georgetown responded with a 15-4 run over a span of 5:11 to take a 63-62 lead. The final five minutes were back and forth. But, when the Hoyas needed a bucket they attacked the Wildcats inside drawing fouls in the process.
Georgetown made seven free throws in the final 2:37 of the game. That included center Qudus Wahab completing a crucial three-point play that tied the game at 70-all with 40 seconds remaining.
On the ensuing possession, Villanova got to the line as Jeremiah Robinson-Earl drew Wahab’s fifth and final foul. However, Robinson missed one of two free throws. Thanks to the missed free throw, Georgetown needed just two points to regain the lead. That’s when Harris forced the whistle to setup the game-winning free throws.
“Make the free throws,” Ewing said he told Harris during his postgame interview with FS1. “We take a lot of free throws every day after practice to get ourselves prepared for moments like this. He stepped up and got the job done.”
Harris finished the game with a team-high 18 points. He was 5-of-5 from the line. Wahab was 7-of-7.
Every point counts, especially for a heavy underdog like Georgetown was entering Thursday’s game. They made the free ones count every time. In the end, they proved critical in the Hoyas moving on to the semifinals on Friday.
