The win over the Buckeyes advances Georgetown to the Sweet 16 for the 10th time in program history.

Hibbert’s 20 points led four players in double figures, as sophomore forward Jeff Green (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern) added 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists; senior guard Ashanti Cook (Inglewood, Calif./Westchester) chipped in 17 points, five rebounds and five assists; senior swingman Darrel Owens (Napoleonville, La./Assumption) tallied 14 points and two rebounds and three steals.

“Every win this time of year is tremendous,” Georgetown head coach John Thompson III said afterward in an interview with his father, who was broadcasting the game for NCAA Radio.  “We have a group of kids who want to keep playing, so we’re playing.”

The Hoyas led by 13 points at the half, 38-25, and Ohio State scored the first four points of the second half to pull within nine points, but each time the Buckeyes cut into the lead, Georgetown responded, quieting the partisan crowd of 18,000-plus, an hour away from Ohio State’s campus.

“Our guys were focused,” Thompson III said.  “We’re in the BIG EAST, so we’re used to playing in hostile environments. Our guys did a good job of tuning the crowd out.  They’re (Cook, Bowman and Owens) seniors and they want to keep playing. DJ hit some big shots for us.  Hopefully we’re ready to keep on going.”

After baskets from Matt Sylvester and Jamar Butler cut Georgetown’s lead to 38-29 one minute into the second half, Cook extended the lead back to 12 points after a layup and a three-pointer, increasing the margin to 43-31 with 16.41 to play.  The Hoyas maintained an eight to 10-point lead through the next 10 times and led 54-43 on a Hibbert layup with 6:48 to play.  Ohio State senior forward Terence Dials scored the next five points for the Buckeyes – a layup and a three-point play – to pull the Buckeyes within six points, 54-48, with 5:12 to play.

Georgetown, however, sealed the game with a 16-4 run over the final five minutes, with Hibbert scoring four points and Green adding three points during the run.  The Hoyas hit five-straight free throws and were 7-of-9 from the stripe in the final five minutes.  The Hoyas took their biggest lead of the game, 70-52, on a dunk from Owens with less than a second left in the game.

The Hoyas jumped out to a 13-point lead at the half thanks to the play of Hibbert and Cook. 

Cook got things going on Georgetown’s first possession, hitting a three-pointer from the top of the key.  Ohio State got three-straight baskets – one each from Terence Dials, J.J. Sullinger and Jekel Foster – to take a 6-3 lead.  That would be the last lead for the Buckeyes, as Cook drained a jumper and Hibbert hit a layup and was fouled for a three-point play, giving the Hoyas a 7-6 lead.  At that point, the Hoyas went on a 13-4 run over a 7:09 span, taking a 20-10 lead on a jumper from Green with 9:33 left in the half.

The Buckeyes responded with a run of their own – a 13-7 spurt – and pulled to within four points (27-23) on a Sylvester layup with 3:43 to play before the break.  Georgetown outscored Ohio State8-2 over the remainder of the opening period, with Green and Owens scoring four points apiece to take the 38-25 lead.

Georgetown connected on 46.0 percent (27-of-58) of its field goals, 37.0 percent from outside the arc (6-of-16) and 83.0 percent from the line (10-of-12).  It was the fifth time the Hoyas have connected on at least 83.0 percent of their free throws this season.  Georgetown is 16-2 when they hit at least 10 shots from the charity stripe. 

The Hoyas had 18 assists on 27 field goals, the 10th time this season with at least 18 helpers.  Georgetown committed only eight turnovers, the ninth time this season with less than 10 and the second-lowest mark this season.

Ohio State shot 40.4 percent from the field (19-of-47), 31.3 percent from the line (5-of-16) and connected on all nine of its free throw attempts. 

Georgetown University is a proud member of the BIG EAST Conference – the largest and most diverse athletic conference in the country. It was formed in 1979 and represents the athletic interests of 16 member institutions including the University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, DePaul University, Georgetown University, University of Louisville, Marquette University, University of Notre Dame, University of Pittsburgh, Providence College, Rutgers University, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, University of South Florida, Syracuse University, West Virginia University and Villanova University. The BIG EAST has captured 25 national championships in six different sports and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series. For more information on Georgetownathletics, please visit www.guhoyas.com. For more information on the BIG EAST Conference and its membership, please visit www.bigeast.org.