Georgetown Hoyas delivered a stunning performance, using a 34-28 run spanning halftime to defeat Creighton 81-57 in their Big East opener. This victory improved Georgetown’s record to 9-2 for the season, matching their total wins from all of last season in just 11 games. On the other hand, Creighton dropped to 7-5. Head coach Ed Cooley couldn’t contain his joy.

“I want to give a lot of credit to Coach McDermott and Creighton. Today was a great team effort and I’m grateful for the Hoya faithful who came out to support our team, especially the students in the middle of finals. I’m proud of our team’s growth and their defensive effort,” Cooley shared on X.

He was absolutely right about the team effort. Georgetown got crucial contributions from Caleb Williams, Micah Peavy, and Curtis Williams Jr. In the first 10 minutes, they managed to secure a 21-15 lead, forcing Creighton into a timeout. After a scoreless stretch lasting more than five and a half minutes for Hoyas, the Bluejays held on to close the gap 23-25.

GU finally responded with the final nine points of the half, thanks to three-pointers from Curtis Williams Jr. and Jordan Burks, followed by a layup from Caleb Williams, giving them a 34-28 lead at halftime. The second half was equally thrilling, as the Hoyas started strong by making eight of their first 11 shots, extending their lead and never looking back.

This victory marks Cooley’s yet another significant win as the Hoyas’ head coach, following their historic win at Syracuse—their first since 2016. This win also pushed Georgetown above .500 in Big East play for the first time since 2019.

“I am confident that he is the coach to return our program to prominence within the BIG EAST and nationally,” athletic director Lee Reed had said when Cooley was appointed in 2023. The Hoyas had failed to make the NCAA tournament six of the last seven times when the new HC was coming in. It was no different last year, but the 9 wins seem ready to tell a different story this season. However, as significant as this game marked for Georgetown, lights were down the other side.

Unfortunately for Creighton, it was a different story

Creighton freshman forward Jackson McAndrew expressed his frustration after the game, which was clearly a tough loss for them. Over the past three years, Georgetown had won only four Big East games by a combined 15 points. This recent game marked their first double-digit win over a league opponent since routing Creighton in the 2021 Big East tournament championship game.

“It was embarrassing,” McAndrew said on the postgame radio show. “We got out-toughed in all aspects of the game. We couldn’t even get into our sets or anything on offense. Defensively, we weren’t rebounding. We turned the ball over. They were hitting tough shots, too, which didn’t help, but we just got outworked tonight.”

McAndrew, Steven Ashworth and fifth-year center Ryan Kalkbrenner led Creighton’s offense, but Georgetown’s defense made it impossible for them to succeed.

This loss marks Creighton’s second in their last five games, with the first three being wins. Their recent struggles began with a loss to Alabama on December 5, where they fell 83-75. Now, Creighton is gearing up for their upcoming game against Villanova and Georgetown, against Seton Hall.