Texas Tech Can’t Stop Georgetown

The concern was present even when the problem wasn’t, but can you really blame Texas Tech?

The Red Raiders had watched as Georgetown dismantled previous NCAA tournament opponents with a style of defense not usually seen in the Southwest Conference--or almost anywhere else. And with the Hoyas on their minds as well as the court, the Red Raiders had too much to handle.

Georgetown did what it often does, using a 17-0 second-half run to defeat Texas Tech, 98-90, in an East Regional semifinal game Thursday night before 34,614 at the Georgia Dome.

“We knew it was coming,” Texas Tech forward-center Darvin Ham said. “And when you recognize they have the momentum and they are coming after you, you have to try to slow them down. But we couldn’t really do that.”

Texas Tech Coach James Dickey offered similar praise.

“The big difference in the game tonight was their defense,” Dickey said. “We had 22 turnovers tonight, and that ties a season high for us. They are very impressive. They really come after you.”

Leading the charge, yet again, was All-American point guard Allen Iverson. Iverson led all scorers with 32 points and had five assists and five steals, proving to Texas Tech he is every bit the Big East Conference’s best defensive player, which he has been chosen the last two seasons.

“He changes things for them,” Dickey said. “He attacks you and opens things up for them.”

Georgetown (29-7), seeded second in the East Regional, plays Massachusetts (34-1), the top seed, for the regional championship Saturday at the Georgia Dome. The winner advances to the Final Four at East Rutherford, N.J.

“I felt the kids showed a lot of guts tonight,” said Georgetown Coach John Thompson, who has guided the Hoyas to their eighth regional title game in his 24-year tenure.

“We were down, but they didn’t give in. We played great defense and we cut [the lead] to three before halftime, and I thought that was really important.”

Foul trouble and poor shooting by Iverson helped put Georgetown in a first-half hole. Texas Tech took a 42-32 lead--its largest of the game--on two free throws by guard Koy Smith with 2:43 left in the half. Forward Jason Sasser scored 18 of his 25 points before halftime.

Iverson wasn’t so sensational up to that point, missing 11 of 17 field-goal attempts in the half and four of six free throws.

“I was just missing shots I should have been hitting,” said Iverson, who scored 15 in the half. “I don’t think it was [Texas Tech’s] defense, I was just a little excited. But my teammates talked to me and I was able to kind of get my game together a little bit, and Othella really stepped up and kept us together.”

That would be center Othella Harrington, who scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds before fouling out with 7:52 left in the game. His dominant performance in the post probably kept Georgetown from facing much bigger deficits. Harrington made eight of nine field goals and had 18 points and five rebounds at the break, and the Hoyas cut the Red Raiders’ halftime lead to 50-47.

“Othella showed what type of player he is,” Iverson said. “He stepped up when we needed it.”

After halftime, Iverson was himself again.

Texas Tech took a 61-55 lead when Sasser made one of two free throws with 14:37 to play. Then the flood came.

Iverson sparked the run with consecutive steals. Georgetown overwhelmed Texas Tech with its half-court pressure. The Hoyas held a 72-61 lead when the run ended on a layup by forward Boubacar Aw, on a pass from Iverson with 9:37 to play. That was it for the Red Raiders.

“We made some crucial turnovers and put up some shots pretty quickly,” said Ham, who had nine points and seven rebounds. “Whenever you do that against Georgetown, that’s just adding fuel to the fire for them.”

Third-seeded Texas Tech ends the season 30-2. Texas Tech’s only other loss came Dec. 27, 93-77, to Eastern Michigan.

The Red Raiders began the game with 23 consecutive victories, which had been the longest streak this season. But the Hoyas have send the Red Raiders home before. Georgetown defeated Texas Tech, 70-64, in the first round of the 1985-86 Midwest Regional at Dayton, Ohio.