Taylor Funk scored 29 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Ejike Obinna added 17 points, and Saint Joseph’s weathered Georgetown’s second-half rally effort to hold on for a 77-74 win in the consolation game of the Wooden Legacy, Friday in Anaheim, Calif.
Saint Joseph’s (3-3) jumped ahead of the Hoyas early, building a lead of as many as 13 points in the first half. The Hawks took a 10-point lead into intermission.
Georgetown (2-3) scratched its way back, taking a 59-58 lead with 8:10 remaining on the strength of a 21-11 run lasting a little more than six minutes. But Saint Joseph’s had answers for each Hoyas rally.
Funk connected on one of his eight 3-pointers after Georgetown took the lead, igniting an 8-0 run. Georgetown recovered to force a 66-66 tie, but a pair of quick buckets by Obinna gave the Hawks a lead they never relinquished.
Funk shot 9-of-11 from the floor, including 8-of-10 from behind the 3-point line. Jordan Hall, who was held to just two points in Saint Joseph’s loss Thursday to No. 24-ranked USC, hit three 3-pointers en route to 13 points.
Hall also dished a game-high eight assists and grabbed five rebounds.
Saint Joseph’s scored 18 of its 28 made field goals off assists, with all five starters dishing at least one. Erik Reynolds II and Cameron Brown each passed for four.
Kaiden Rice led Georgetown with 25 points and shot 7-of-13 from 3-point range. His hot hand from outside powered the Hoyas to an 11-of-25 night shooting behind the arc.
Dante Harris dished a team-high six assists and added 17 points, but went 0-of-3 from outside. Donald Carey added 12 points for the Hoyas.
The win snapped a three-game skid for Saint Joseph’s, which returns home to Philadelphia to host Binghamton on Dec. 1. Georgetown hosts Longwood in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 30 looking to rebound from its 0-2 showing at the Wooden Legacy.
The Hoyas dropped a 73-56 decision to San Diego State on Thursday after its rally effort stalled midway through the second half.
–Field Level Media
