12/22/2003

Adapted from Story by By PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer

The Hoyas continued on their best start in three seasons with an 85-62 victory Monday night.

Gerald Riley had 23 points, including four of the team's 11 3-pointers, which was a season high and one off the school single-game mark of 12 last set in 1996. The Hoyas moved to 9-0 in their first-ever visit to the Citadel.

And while Georgetown hasn't faced the college basketball's elite yet - they would be 3-0 in both the Southern Conference and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference this season - it's the Hoyas longest winning streak to start a season since going 16-0 in 2000-2001.

Esherick's got them winning in a way unfamiliar to some who've watched the "Hoya Destroya" plan of relentless defense and powerful middle men like Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo.

But Esherick's sees a group of accurate, on-target shooters and wants to turn them loose.

"I think that our strength is our shooting," he said. "And so, because our strength is our shooting, we're going to take as many outside shots as we can, as long as their good shots."

J'mel Everhart converted an alley-oop to put The Citadel up 2-0. Then it was all Hoyas.

Riley came right back with a jam of his own. Soon after he added the first of his three 3-pointers in the first half and the Hoyas were ahead 16-4 with less than six minutes gone.

Georgetown shot better than 64 percent (18-of-28) in the opening 20 minutes, including 6-of-9 from behind the arc.

Riley led the air attack. When Erick Wilson's two baskets brought The Citadel to 27-18, Courtland Freeman hit a floating shot and Riley a 3-pointer. Darrel Owens and Matt Causey added 3-pointers to extend the Hoyas lead to 38-23.

Things didn't stop there. Riley hit one more long bucket - his foot was on the 3-point line - Ashanti Cook hit two quick shots and Causey stole the ball and made a layup as the buzzer sounded to put Georgetown up 48-24 at the half.

Things got way out of hand in the second half with Georgetown leading by as many as 39 points. Ray Reed's 3-pointer matched the previous season high of nine the team had against Elon on Dec. 13. About five minutes later, Riley stroked his fourth long-range basket of the game to break the season's team mark.