NEW YORK – Despite closing to within four in the waning moments of the game, the Georgetown University basketball team fell short to the No. 1/1 Duke Blue Devils 81-73 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden in the championship game of the 2K Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project. With the setback, the Hoyas are now 4-2 on the season while the Blue Devils improve to 6-0.
 
ON THE RECORD
"The whole trip is something we can build on. Everyone that we have on our team is capable of playing and playing well. We went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 team in the county and had our opportunities to win the ball game. We beat the No. 22-ranked team yesterday. There are a whole lot of things to build on and I think that our future is bright." - Head Coach Patrick Ewing
 
HOYA HIGHLIGHTS

• Omer Yurtseven led Georgetown and tied for game-high honors with 21 points, all of which came in the second half. He was an efficient 9-of-13 shooting from the floor.
• James Akinjo was the other Hoya in double figures with 19 points and he also paced the offense with six assists.
• Qudus Wahab and Josh LeBlanc each chipped in seven points off the bench.
• Yurtseven and Jagan Mosely led the way with five rebounds apiece, while Yurtseven and LeBlanc each had four of GU's 12 blocks.
• The Hoyas shot 50.9 percent (28-55) from the floor while holding Duke to 41.5 percent (27-65) and forcing 21 turnovers.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Georgetown got off to a quick start with Akinjo and Mac McClung combining for seven of the first nine GU points to take the seven-point advantage (9-2).
• The Blue Devils held on and staged a 9-3 run to pull within one (12-11) but an Akinjo triple provided some breathing room with 12:45 to play.
• Four-straight points from Qudus Wahab and three straight by Galen Alexander fueled a 10-1 run that opened up a 10-point lead at 22-12 and forced a Duke timeout.
• The teams traded buckets before an Alexander triple gave Georgetown its largest lead of the game (29-18) with 6:07 to play.
• Duke would not back down, staging a 13-2 run to tie the game at 31 with just over two minutes in the first.
• Trailing for the first time at 33-31, Akinjo tied up the affair in the waning moments of the half as the teams went into the break with the score knotted at 33.
• The Blue Devils opened the second half on an 11-3 run to go up 44-36.
• Every time Georgetown inched closer, Duke found an answer to lead by as many as 14 down the stretch.
• Down 77-63, the Hoyas did not allow a field goal over the final 4:59, staging a 10-0 run behind three Yurtseven jumpers to cut the deficit to four, 77-73 with 42 seconds remaining. 
• Duke, however, hit four free throws down the stretch to close out the game, 81-73.

 
OF NOTE
Akinjo and Yurtseven were both named to the 2019 2K Empire Classic All-Tournament Team.
 
COMING UP NEXT
The Hoyas will return home to Capital One Arena on Saturday, Nov. 30 to take on UNC Greensboro. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on FS2 while fans can listen locally on WOL 1450 with Rich Chvotkin on the call.
 
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Men's basketball season tickets and mini-plans are currently on sale for the 2019-20 season. To purchase season tickets, visit WeAreGeorgetown.com/buyseasontickets; to purchase mini-plans, visit WeAreGeorgetown.com/miniplans. For more information and early notification when single game tickets and group tickets go on sale, please add your name to the Men's Basketball Ticket Interest List at WeAreGeorgetown.com/interestlist.