Hoyas adjust, rally to beat Providence

January 11, 4:41 PMGeorgetown Hoyas Basketball ExaminerMike Glauser

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Coach John Thompson III has made some quality adjustments.(AP Photo/ Nick Wass)

Re-emerging from two game losing streak, the Georgetown Hoyas made some fixes, swapped in some fresh legs, and staged a rally to defeat Providence College, 82-75.

After a first half in which the Hoya starters got outscored and pushed into foul trouble, Coach John Thompson III dipped into his bench to pull out a lineup of three freshmen and two sophomores whose size and fresh legs were able to spark 21-2 run that put the Friars into the fire.

Greg Monroe continued to show off a complete offensive game, scoring 13 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 8 assists. Guards Austin Freeman and Chris Wright continued to provide stability on the perimeter, combining to score 34 points and shoot 40% from behind the three-point line.

But while Monroe, Freeman, and Wright are mainstays in the Georgetown rotation, the insertion of center Henry Sims and guard Jason Clark is a sign that Coach Thompson is willing to consider his team's weaknesses. Bringing Sims in to bang around inside frees up space for Monroe to use more of his skills, much in the same way the Phoenix Suns use Shaquille O'Neal to keep the contact off of Amare Stoudemire. A notable example of this occurred with 12:15 left in the second half when Sims grabbed a defensive rebound, then rushed down the court in time to toss in a layup inducing dish from Monroe.

In general, this game has the potential to serve as a turning point for the Hoyas, because they showed they could win a game after trailing at the half, as well as thoroughly outrebound their opponent on the inside.