Sports

Absolutely Nobody Braved Washington DC Traffic To Watch Georgetown Get Embarrassed By St. John’s

#College Basketball
by Last Updated
The Georgetown Hoyas mascot sits on the sidelines during a basketball game.

© Anthony Gruppuso-Imagn Images


The Georgetown basketball team welcomed Big East rival St. John’s to town on Tuesday night for midweek hoops action. Unfortunately, not many people showed up to watch the Hoyas host the 15th-ranked Red Storm.

Seats were empty moments before tipoff, and they’d largely fail to fill in as the game got underway. The pregame scenes were embarrassing for the once proud program, and the action on the floor didn’t get much better.

Videos of the non-existent crowd surfaced on social media as the two teams took the court. There was more red in the crowd than Georgetown blue. The announced attendance for the contest was just over 4,000 fans. Capital One Arena holds a capacity of more than 20,000.

The venue, which also hosts professional sporting events, is one of the largest in college basketball. The massive arena size only magnified the emptiness.

There are factors that led to the less than impressive support. The midweek matchup tipped off at 6:30 PM in busy the Washington DC area. Traffic can certainly be a deterrent when considering catching a game.

Still, those nearby had the opportunity to see a Top 15 foe with one of the sport’s most legendary coaches on the sidelines. Rick Pitino and the Red Storm entered the contest at 17-3 on the year.

The Hoyas, who’ve seen improvement of their own in Year 2 of the Ed Cooley era, had a chance to land a major upset. Fan support is always a plus in creating an uninviting atmosphere for visiting foes.

In Tuesday’s case, it probably wouldn’t have helped much. St. John’s started the game on an 11-0 run and was up by 20 points less than eight minutes into the first half. That lead grew to as much as 29 before the halftime break.

The Red Storm took their foot off the gas in the second half, though it wouldn’t do much to alleviate the Hoyas’ shooting woes. Georgetown made less than 25% of their attempts while scoring a season-worst 41 points.

With the win, St. John’s improved to 9-1 in Big East play as they make a push for a league title. After being left out of the NCAA Tournament last season, Rick Pitino is on a mission to make a run in 2025.

The Hoyas, meanwhile, fell to 13-8 and 4-6 against conference opponents. They’ll hope to see a better turnout when they host Butler on Friday night.