Georgetown Looks to Upset Duke in 2K Empire Classic
The Georgetown University Hoyas and the Duke Blue Devils will square off at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. They are participating in the 2019 2K Empire Classic that benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2; LINE: Duke -13; O/U: 153
Top-ranked Duke has been sharp through the first five games of the season. The squad will look to avoid an upset when it takes on upstart Georgetown in the 2K Empire Classic championship game at Madison Square Garden. The young Blue Devils had no problem with California 87-52 in Thursday’s semifinals. They were led by 6′-10″ freshman Vernon Carey Jr. broke out with 31 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. Carey’s performance in the semifinals gave coach Mike Krzyzewski a chance to pass UCLA legend John Wooden for the most wins as a No. 1 team. He now has 217 victories on top of the rankings. Duke goes after a third 2K Empire Classic championship in four attempts.
Georgetown rallied from a five-point deficit at halftime and put together a exciting final half to surprise No. 22 Texas 82-66 in the first game Thursday. Guard Mac McClung led the way with 19 points. The Hoyas managed three wins over mid-majors and a loss to Penn State of the Big Ten before coming to the Big Apple. They drew some inspiration from coach Patrick Ewing as well. The Hall of Famer starred with Georgetown and the New York Knicks. “This is still my home. I still have a lot of fans here, still a lot of family here, still have a lot of supporters here, so it was a great night,” Ewing told reporters after the victory. “And my team, these guys stepped up and got the job done.”
This, That, and a Dart Throw
Ewing has his Hoyas sitting at 4-1 heading into tonight’s matchup. Senior center Omer Yurtseven, who is a 7′-0″ transfer from North Carolina State is pacing the way. He leads the team in scoring at 15.6 ppg and rebounding at 10.8 rpg. He drained 5-of-6 shots for 10 points against Texas. McClung, who averaged 13.1 points as a freshman, connected on 7-of-14 from the field Thursday. That pushed his season scoring mark to 13.6 ppg. Forward Jamorko Pickett scored a season-best 15 versus the Longhorns. Guard James Akinjo filled the scoresheet Thursday with 14 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals. He is averaging 12.6 points and 4.8 assists per game.
Duke is 5-0 for the season and sitting atop the college basketball rankings. Carey connected on 11-of-18 from the field as the Blue Devils advanced to the finals. They moved on by shooting 41.5 percent from the field while forcing 15 turnovers. They also pounded the Bears on the glass 50-28. Carey raised his average to 18 points. Point guard Tre Jones is second on the team in scoring at 15.2 ppg and leading the way with six assists per contest. Guard Cassius Stanley has also contributed tossing in 12.6 ppg. Matthew Hurt is the fourth player averaging in double figures and is scoring 10.4 ppg. The Blue Devils drained a season-high ten 3-pointers Thursday.
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The Dart Throw: Blue Devils 86, Georgetown 70
2K Empire Classic Trends
Duke Blue Devils
- Trend Under is 22-8-1 in Blue Devils last 31 games as a favorite of 13.0 or greater. Hit % 73.30% (31) O/U 8|22 Push 1 W/L
- Under is 33-16-2 in Blue Devils last 51 games as a favorite. 67.30% (51) 16|33 2
- Over is 4-1 in Blue Devils last 5 neutral site games as an underdog. 80.00% (5) 4|1 0
- Under is 7-3 in Blue Devils last 10 games as a favorite of 0.5-6.5. 70.00% (10) 3|7 0
Georgetown Hoyas
- Trend Over is 6-1 in Hoyas last 7 games as a favorite of 13.0 or greater. Hit % 85.70% (7) O/U 8|22 Push 1 W/L
- Over is 5-1 in Hoyas last 6 games as an underdog of 13.0 or greater. 83.30% (6) 5|1 0
- Under is 7-2 in Hoyas last 9 games as a favorite. 77.80% (9) 16|33 2
- Over is 5-2 in Hoyas last 7 games as an underdog of 7.0-12.5. 71.40% (7) 5|2 0
Head to Head Meeting Trends
- Trend Underdog is 4-0-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. Hit % 0.00% (5) O/U Push 1 W/L 0|4
Stats brought to you by Scores&Stats
Next up:
Georgetown University home to UNC Greensboro Saturday, November 30
Duke home to Stephen F. Austin Tuesday, November 26
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