box score
audio - coach john thompson, jeff green & roy hibbert
audio - coach john thompson (second interview)
The only other time Georgetown coach John Thompson III had the good fortune to cut down the nets after a championship victory, he did not get to take the net home with him. It was 2001 and his Princeton team had defeated Penn by 17 points at Jadwin Gym to secure the first Ivy League title of Thompson's coaching career.
"His" net ended up locked behind glass in the lobby of Princeton's Jadwin Gym.
This time, Coach Thompson wasn't going to let the net get away from him.
He gave it to his wife for safekeeping.
Mixing efficient offense with smothering, constantly switching defense, Georgetown defeated Pittsburgh 65-42 to win the 2007 Big East Tournament championship game. Pittsburgh's 42 points were the lowest total in championship game history. Their 26.2% shooting percentage was also the lowest number in the history of this tournament's final.
According to another member of Coach Thompson's family - his father John - a good memory is shared with a hug.
There were a lot of good memories for Hoya fans late Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, but the best may have come with 1:28 left in regulation. The championship was far decided, the Hoyas out in front of Pittsburgh by 23. With tournament Most Outstanding Player Jeff Green at the free throw line, it started to set in on Coach Thompson that victory was secure. Thompson began to clear his bench, first removing center Roy Hibbert and point guard Jonathan Wallace. Each player had the wide arms of Thompson greeting them as the crowd gave them well-deserved waves of applause, a bear hug the final stop from the court to the sidelines.
As Green converted the second of his two free throws, fellow co-captain Tyler Crawford replaced him in the lineup. The loudest ovation of the night was followed by the biggest of these hugs, Thompson standing smiling with arms extended as far as they could go and a grin on his face nearly as wide, waiting in front of his bench for Green to share his embrace.
Jeff Green had a game-high 21 points for the Hoyas. Roy Hibbert dominated this rubber game inside against the Panthers, with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Hibbert's counterpart, Aaron Gray, was 1-13 from the field and missed his first nine field goal attempts including many at point-blank range.
An 13-0 Georgetown run starting with eight minutes to go in first half turned a 15-13 Hoya lead into a 15 point advantage. Roy Hibbert dunked around Levon Kendall to cap this spurt. When Grey was on the bench it was surprising that Pitt did not double Hibbert in the post as he was able to score at will over smaller, weaker defenders.
The Hoyas went into the break up 15 as Hibbert stuffed an offensive rebound after Jessie Saap's three point shot right before the shot clock buzzer bounded high off the iron.
Back-to-back three point shots from Jonathan Wallace made the score 51-32 Georgetown with 9:32 to go in regulation and the Panthers did not ever make the push everyone felt was still to come.
When time ran out, Coach Thompson and his father had become the first father-son pairing to each win a Big East title. Another good memory, with a hug sure to follow.
