Sims has career game in victory over Savannah State Georgetown unveiled a deep and potential-rich crop of freshmen in its season-opening 83-54 win over Savannah State.
But it was senior center Henry Sims, with one career start before Saturday, who was saluted by the Verizon Center crowd of 9,876 as he left the floor with four minutes remaining after a career-high 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
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Asked about the last time he had been given such an ovation, Sims responded, “I can’t remember, honestly. It felt good though.”
Sims had a key putback and later a slam dunk in the lane off a no-look feed inside from Hollis Thompson (13 points, four assists) as the Hoyas (1-0) broke the game open with a 20-2 run in the second half. The Tigers (0-1) had closed within 32-29 on Deric Rudolph’s fourth 3-pointer.
That basket completed a 5-0 run for Savannah State to start the second half, forcing Hoyas coach John Thompson III to call timeout after just 37 seconds. A 12-0 run ensued, and Georgetown finished shooting 66.7 percent from the field.
“I was as nervous before this game as any I can remember to tell you the truth,” said Thompson III, whose roster contains 10 underclassmen. “But I think that they settled down in the second half.”
All four Georgetown freshmen who played also scored, led by Otto Porter (nine points, eight rebounds, three blocks) and Greg Whittington (eight points), both 6-foot-8 wings who were the first two off the bench.
The Hoyas’ first five buckets were scored by five different players, the opener by a cutting Sims on a short lob from Nate Lubick (eight points, five assists), a possible indication that Sims could have as much to do with defining Georgetown’s identity this season as his young teammates.
“I didn’t expect Sims to do much based on what he’d done in the past,” Tigers coach and former Hoyas guard Horace Broadnax said. “But I guess I went against what I try to tell my kids: ‘The past don’t dictate the future.’?”
