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Monroe does it all as Georgetown tops Providence

Jan 11, 2009 - 12:06 AM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- It has been a bumpy ride in Big East Conference play for Georgetown, thus far. Imagine where they'd be without superstar freshman Greg Monroe.

Monroe recorded 13 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and five steals, helping the 10th-ranked Hoyas snap a two-game losing streak with an 82-75 victory over a game Providence team on Saturday.

Austin Freeman had 18 points and Chris Wright added 16 for Georgetown (11-3, 2-2 Big East), which dropped two straight conference games after beating then-No. 2 Connecticut earlier this month.

Monroe was huge in that game, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while outplaying UConn big man Hasheem Thabeet. In this one, Monroe had just one basket in the first half due to foul trouble, and Georgetown trailed, 36-33, after 20 minutes.

"Just trying to play hard and try to get the ball," Monroe said of playing in foul trouble. "It's just two fouls, I can't control that."

Monroe managed to avoid picking up any more fouls, and second half was a different story. The 6-11 freshman constantly beat double teams with deft passes, and his presence inside opened things up for his teammates.

"He does a terrific job," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "I've said this from the beginning, of understanding of when the opportunities are there for him to score and when the opportunities are there for his teammates.

"It's because of his presence when he has the ball, you saw today. It felt like he had 15 assists, I look and see eight. Putting the ball in his hands makes it a lot easier on everyone else and I think our guys realize that."

Spurred by Monroe, Georgetown opened the second half on a 22-8 run to grab a 55-44 lead and led the rest of the way.

"Greg's a real good passer," Freeman said. "We all think he's a good passer. We try to go inside to him and read off him. Like today, when we went inside to him the defense's attention was on him and that's how we were able to get all of the open cuts."

Still, Providence (11-5, 3-1) managed to make it interesting late.

Marshon Brooks had 18 points and Weyinmi Efejuku scored 13 for the Friars, who went on a 15-6 run to pull within 76-73 with 1:24 left.

Efejuku wasted a chance to make it a one-point game when he missed a layup after a steal with around a minute to play.

Providence then turned the ball over on its next possession and Monroe's breakaway dunk with 1:02 left essentially sealed the win.

"Coming on the road is never easy in the Big East or in any other conference," Providence coach Keno Davis said.

"But, I think as I look back on the game and say, 'There's a lot of negatives on the stat sheet' and for us to have that game come down to the last minute, minute and a half you've got to look at that as a positive."