WASHINGTON — Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas are the 2021 Big East tournament champions after beating the Creighton Blue Jays 73-48 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
This run by the Hoyas in the Big East tournament is the best basketball that Georgetown has played under Ewing, and the magical run may be in part due to the success its coach once had in the arena as an NBA player.
The Hoyas (13-12) closed the first half on a 23-2 run that put them up 18 at the break against second-seeded Creighton (20-8). Then they picked right up early in the second half with a 16-3 spurt. Chudier Bile knocked down a 3-pointer — holding the follow through for a beat — with 14:58 left that made it 52-21.
Bile matched a season high with 19 points and Jahvon Blair had 18 and went 4 for 7 from 3-point range for Georgetown. After missing 12 of their first 14 shots, the Hoyas finished shooting 46.6% from the floor.
Marcus Zegarowski scored 17 points to lead Creighton, which is 0-3 in Big East title games since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season.
Georgetown fans, the few dozen that were in the mostly empty building because of COVID-19 restrictions, chanted “This Is Our House!” as the Hoyas prepared to accept the championship trophy. Ewing carried a T-shirt with John Thompson's image on it, his old coach's fist raised high.
The former New York Knicks center spent 15 years playing his home games at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in the 80s and 90s. Ewing jersey hangs from the rafters at MSG, retired by the team after his hall of fame career.
Ewing may have fired up his team after his exchange to the media Thursday about being stopped by Madison Square Garden security in New York City. It was something he took offense to because of how well-known he is at the arena.
The team started off its startling run after beating top tournament seed, Villanova. It was followed up by an impressive win against Seaton Hall on Friday.
Georgetown came into the Big East tournament as an 8-seed, and it's unclear how the team will be ranked for the NCAA tournament.
The Hoyas were not likely to make the tournament without winning the tournament, but conference tournament winners get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Ewing, who won a national championship at Georgetown University in the 80s under legendary coach John Thompson Jr., has been the head coach of his alma mater since 2017.
The tournament win comes after Thompson Jr. died in August 2020. Many coaches across college basketball honored him during Black History Month during February by replicating his iconic white towel look.