Oregon outlasts Georgetown, 82-75, on military base in South Korea

Nov 8, 2013; Seoul, SOUTH KOREA; Oregon Ducks player Damyean Dotson (left) shoots against Georgetown Hoyas players Mikael Hopkins (middle) and Stephen Domingo during a NCAA basketball game at Camp Humphreys. Mandatory Credit: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters via USA TODAY Sports /

It isn’t every day that two high-profile college basketball teams face-off in the season opener, and it certainly isn’t every day that the two teams play on a military base in South Korea, but that is what took place on Friday night. Georgetown and Oregon squared off at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, and the Ducks grabbed an incredibly entertaining victory, 82-75.

In addition to the riveting scene of military personnel lining the court in a unique arena for Division 1 hoops, both teams teams showed minor flashes of what they could become. Oregon held off the Hoyas on the strength of a staggering 36 made free throws, and while the number of fouls was probably the story of the game, Joseph Young’s 24-point showing also stood out in a mighty way.

Speaking of fouls, there were a mind-blowing 59 whistles on personal fouls in this game, resulting in 74 free-throw attempts in just a 40-minute ballgame. This was, for the most part, a result of the new hand-checking emphasis in college hoops, but it was likely aided by two teams adjusting to their new surroundings (and time zones) on a stage made for big-time spotlight.

On the Georgetown side, Joshua Smith (the former UCLA big man) played very well, scoring 25 points on 13 shots, but the Hoyas are banged-up and undermanned, and it could be a bit of a long season in DC.

All in all, it wasn’t the prettiest basketball game, but the aesthetics made this one incredibly pleasing to the basketball fan, and it was a fun one.