Thirty-seven seconds after he missed a pair of free throws that could have given his team the lead late in double overtime, Radford guard Rashun Davis found a way to atone for it.
Davis buried a pull-up 25-footer with 1.5 seconds to go, propelling the Highlanders to an 82-80 upset victory over Georgetown in the season opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon.
"The missed free throws stayed on my mind, but coach told me I had to stay with it and make the next one," Davis told reporters in Washington D.C. after the game. "My teammates and coaches were telling me to stay in attack mode. When I saw the opportunity, I took it."
Radford's win was among the biggest surprises from an opening weekend of college basketball rife with stunning outcomes.
Georgetown crushed the Highlanders by 27 points last season and the gap between the two teams seemed even wider entering this game. Whereas the Hoyas are expected to emerge as Villanova's top challenger in the Big East this season, the Highlanders are projected a modest fourth in the Big South and began the year 212th in the preseason KenPom rankings.
It was fitting that Davis sank the game's most memorable shot because his career high 28-point effort was one of primary reasons Radford managed to trade blows with Georgetown for the previous two-plus hours. Davis and fellow guard Cameron Jones (20 points) sliced up the Hoyas' lethargic defense and thoroughly outplayed the more highly touted backcourt of L.J. Peak and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera.
A surprising 19-point, 12-rebound game from center Bradley Hayes kept Georgetown competitive, but the Hoyas made too many defensive miscues and blew too many chances at the free throw line to avoid the upset. In fact, it took a couple of ill-timed Radford blunders for Georgetown to even force double overtime.
Radford still led by two in the final minute of regulation after an Isaac Copeland sank a 3-pointer, however, Georgetown surprised the Highlanders with full-court pressure, leading to a Peak steal and game-tying layup. The Hoyas again went with full-court pressure trailing by three late in the first overtime, forcing two more turnovers that enabled them to force a second extra session.
Why John Thompson III wouldn't continue to press in the second overtime is a mystery, but it's a decision that could prove costly given Georgetown's upcoming schedule.
The Hoyas renew their previously dormant rivalry with Maryland on Tuesday in College Park. Then they will meet Wisconsin and either Duke or VCU in the Legends Classic next weekend. In other words, Georgetown is in jeopardy of opening the season with a 1-3 or 0-4 record unless it can spring an upset.
Georgetown can take some solace in the fact that it's not the only power-conference program stinging from a surprising season-opening loss.
Wisconsin fell to Western Illinois. UCLA lost to Monmouth. Illinois, NC State, Arizona State and Georgia each also suffered surprising setbacks against small-conference foes.
The only thing that makes the Hoyas' loss worse is the upcoming schedule. Either they pull it together in a hurry, or they dig themselves an early hole.
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