The last time Georgetown and Connecticut were both ranked when they played each other, Allen Iverson versus Ray Allen was the flashy backcourt matchup.
Well, the Big East is a powerhouse again and the Hoyas are off to a strong start in conference play.
DaJuan Summers scored 18 points and No. 11 Georgetown won the first of many matchups between ranked Big East teams this season, beating No. 2 Connecticut 74-63 Monday night for its seventh straight win.
“The commissioner isn’t handing out trophies tonight and it doesn’t get easier,” Hoyas coach John Thompson III said, referring to Saturday’s home game against No. 3 Pittsburgh.
Chris Wright and 6-foot-11 freshman Greg Monroe both had 16 points for Georgetown (10-1, 1-0), which led by as many as 17. Austin Freeman scored 13.
A.J. Price had 16 points and Jeff Adrien 15 for the Huskies (11-1, 0-1), who cut a 12-point deficit early in the second half to three but couldn’t get any closer.
It was the Hoyas’ eighth straight victory in a Big East opener, the last five under Thompson.
fayette 62; No. 15 Villanova 62, Temple 45; No. 17 Arizona State 84, Central Connecticut State 47; No. 19 Baylor 79, Portland State 66; and No. 23 Michigan 77, North Carolina Central 57.
The loss snapped Connecticut’s seven-game winning streak over ranked opponents, including victories this season over Miami, Wisconsin and Gonzaga.
“I hated our body language early, saw some brief spurts, then detested it the last 8 minutes,” Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. “I’m in a state of shock, I really am. To have a home game in the conference opener against a rival like Georgetown and not be excited – there was no reason not to be excited. I don’t know what team I was coaching tonight.”
This was the first time both teams were ranked when they met since the 1996 Big East tournament championship game when Connecticut, led by Allen, edged Georgetown, led by Iverson.
This season, the Big East has seven schools ranked in The Associated Press Top 25.
“We can’t get too high because we have Pitt on Saturday,” Summers said. “We’re where we’re supposed to be and we have a lot of work to do, so we can’t get comfortable.”
The Hoyas opened the game on an 18-3 run by hitting four of their first five 3-point attempts, then held off Connecticut by making 18 straight free throws in the second half to finish 18-for-21 from the line.
a Big East game.”
No. 14 Tennessee 89, Louisiana-Lafayette 62
At Knoxville, Tenn., Wayne Chism had 18 points and 15 rebounds for Tennessee (9-2) before a frightening injury sent him to the hospital.
With 5:12 left in the game, the team’s leading rebounder landed hard on his back under the basket after blocking a shot by La’Ryan Gary. Play was delayed for several minutes as Chism was strapped to a board, placed in a neck brace and taken out of the arena on a stretcher. He wiggled his arms, fingers and legs before being strapped to the stretcher.
Chism hurt his back and neck and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. The extent of his injuries wasn’t immediately known.
No. 15 Villanova 62, Temple 45
Corey Fisher scored 23 points to help Villanova rally for its 23rd straight home win.
The Wildcats (12-1) continued to roll over their city rivals, winning 18 of their last 19 Big 5 games. Up ahead for Villanova, a stiffer test in the Big East opener on Jan. 1 at Marquette.
The Owls (5-6) led at halftime and stretched it to 32-24 before completely falling apart from the floor. They went 11 1/2 minutes without a field goal and have lost three straight since beating then-No. 8 Tennessee.
Fisher and Scottie Reynolds erased Temple’s lead, combining for four 3-pointers during a 14-0 run that helped Villanova match its longest winning streak at the Pavilion.
Arizona State 84, Central Connecticut State 47
At Tempe, Ariz., James Harden scored 24 points and Arizona State matched its best start in 34 years.
Ty Abbott added 15 points and Jeff Pendergraph 14 for the Sun Devils (11-1), who hit 19 of their first 22 shots from the floor and their first 15 from inside the arc.
The Sun Devils, who shot 65.3 percent from the floor, also went 11-1 to open the 2004-05 season.
No. 19 Baylor 79, Portland State 66
At Waco, Texas, LaceDarius Dunn scored 22 points to lead four players in double figures for Baylor (11-1), which held Jeremiah Dominguez to two points on 1-of-9 shooting. Dominguez scored 25 in an upset of then-No. 7 Gonzaga last week.
No. 23 Michigan 77, North Carolina Central 57
At Ann Arbor, Mich., Manny Harris had 29 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, DeShawn Sims added 17 points and Michigan equaled last season’s win total by beating winless North Carolina Central.
The victory was the fifth straight for the Wolverines (10-2), who were 10-22 last season. They open Big Ten play Wednesday against Wisconsin.
Nick Chasten scored 15 points for the Eagles (0-15), who played their 13th road game this season. North Carolina Central is in its second season in NCAA Division I.
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