East Rutherford, N.J. – With big man Roy Hibbert on the bench, Jeff Green knew he had to step up.
Turns out he might have taken one step too many as he lifted Georgetown into a regional final for the first time in 11 years.
Green squeezed between two defenders, spun and banked in a short, off-balance shot with 2.5 seconds to play to lead Georgetown to a 66-65 victory over Vanderbilt in the East Regional semifinals Friday night.
Replays seemed to suggest Green traveled by picking up his pivot foot. None of the three officials saw it that way.
“No,” Green said when asked about a possible traveling violation. “There were a lot of guys in there. I probably got pushed. They didn’t call it. The play was good, and that’s all I can say.”
Vanderbilt forward Ross Neltner wasn’t complaining about the lack of a call, and he was double-teaming Green with Shan Foster on the play.
“I didn’t really see anything,” Neltner said. “We’ll watch the tape, but it’s inconsequential at this point.”
The reality is second-seeded Georgetown (29-6) is headed to the East Regional final for a matchup against top-seeded North Carolina. The Hoyas accomplished it with 7-foot-2 center Hibbert on the bench after fouling out with 3:58 to play.
Vanderbilt (22-12) had one last chance to win the game but a long 3-pointer by Alex Gordon did not come close. Green, the Big East player of the year, contested it, preserving the Hoyas’ seventh straight win and 18th in 19 games.
“With Roy absent I had to step up,” Green said. “He is a big target down there. I had to take his place, get those rebounds he was able to get and do other things.”
