Porter, Georgetown exit NCAA tournament

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Georgetown's surprisingly successful season once again ended earlier than expected.

Hollis Thompson scored 23 points, but the Hoyas' rally fizzled in a 66-63 loss to 11th-seeded North Carolina State in the third round of the NCAA tournament Sunday.

"We weren't picked to do anything," an emotional Jason Clark said after his final game in a Hoyas uniform. "Everybody doubted us. But as a group we believed in each other, and we proved a lot of people wrong."

Picked to finish 10th in the Big East, the Hoyas (24-9) put together another solid year. But it still ended with another surprising loss.

It was quite the wild finish, too.

The Hoyas, riding the shooting of Thompson, closed to 63-61 before former Scott County Central standout Otto Porter missed a 15-foot jumper under pressure with 14 seconds left.

"[Otto] was open," coach John Thompson III said. "He ended up getting a decent shot. The ball just didn't go in."

Lorenzo Brown, a 74 percent shooter at the line, made two foul shots with 10.6 seconds left for a 65-61 Wolfpack lead. Clark, who finished with 10 points, then went the length of the court for a layup before Brown was fouled again with 4.6 seconds left. He hit the first but missed the second, and the Hoyas raced down court for a potential tying 3-pointer.

They got a good look, with Clark stopping and getting off a rushed shot.

"We pushed the ball up the court, tried to get a last shot," Clark said. "I felt like it had a chance, but it didn't."

C.J. Williams, defending on the play, thought at first the shot might fall.

"I was just praying it wasn't going in," Williams said.

And it didn't.

It set off a wild celebration among the Wolfpack players. Three teammates hefted Brown to their shoulders and carried him across the floor, while guard Alex Johnson popped his jersey and yelled to the roaring North Carolina State faithful, "We back baby! We're going to the Sweet 16!"

And it was another bitter disappointment for Georgetown, like North Carolina State (24-12) a traditional power trying to live up to a glowing legacy. The Hoyas were knocked out in their first game in each of the previous two NCAA tournaments, and the players said they finally had shed the stigma of those defeats with a 74-59 victory over Belmont on Friday.

The close call provided a fitting end to a strange year that began with the team attacked by the crowd and opposing players in an exhibition game in China.

"This team, in spite of whatever downs we've had and losses like today, has been a really special group," coach Thompson said. "We haven't always had success, but it's a group that all year fought for each other and cared for each other. I'm proud to be associated with these guys."