Mens Basketball: Hoyas have reason to be wary of 6th man
By: ANDREW SOUKUP
Sports Writer
Georgetown didn't need any extra motivation to play a top-10 team on the road, but they got it thanks to a blown call at the end of regulation in Wednesday night 93-82 overtime loss to Seton Hall.
With the score tied and 10 seconds showing on the clock, the Pirates took a 74-72 lead on an alley-oop dunk off an inbounds pass.
The catch? The Pirates had six players on the floor during the key inbounds play, something Georgetown coach Craig Esherick didn't notice until after he spoke with the media.
In fact, Seton Hall still had six players on the floor when Hoya guard Gerald Riley drove the length of the floor to score a lay-up and send the game into overtime.
But even though Esherick didn't notice the officials' gaffe, that didn't stop him from lighting up his players for a perceived lack of effort.
"We've got to figure out who we have on our team that wants to win," he said. "Those people that want to win, and work to win, are going to play. Those who want to make excuses and don't want to win aren't going to play."
Miller time
It took a while for the stats to show it, but Dan Miller is slowly getting accustomed to life in the physical Big East.
"I think I've been fine," he said. "The numbers I put up didn't justify it, but that happens where shots don't fall and you don't feel comfortable.
"But I'm feeling fine with Big East play."
Miller started the Big East season struggling somewhat. In his first three conference games, the fifth-year senior only averaged seven points a game.
But since Notre Dame's loss to Kentucky, Miller has averaged 13 points a game. Though his defense never suffered, Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said it's good to see the senior back in an offensive rhythm.
"Sometimes with a one-year transfer, you want to get it all in one game," Brey said. "He's back kind of in a groove offensively for us, and we need him to be a threat out there."
Physical play
The wear and tear of playing in such a physical league is starting to show on Notre Dame's seniors.
Against Boston College on Saturday, Matt Carroll crashed hard to the ground, a fall that knocked him out temporarily. Then against West Virginia on Wednesday, Dan Miller dove for a loose ball and came up with a bleeding chin, a wound that required six stitches to close.
But nicks and bumps aren't slowing the Irish duo.
"I don't think I've played a game where I haven't bled at least once," Carroll said. "Pretty soon, I might be wearing six wristbands to stop all the bleeding."
All Sports Stories for Friday, January 31, 2003
