Clark shines again as Hoyas cruise

With so much attention focused nightly on star center Greg Monroe, the play of his companions will be critical in determining how good Georgetown can ultimately become this season. And Saturday, the Hoyas gave a glimpse of their prowess when firing on all cylinders.

Jason Clark set a new career high for the second game in a row with 19 points to lead a balanced attack as No. 18 Georgetown routed Lafayette 97-64 at Verizon Center.

Six players scored in double figures for the Hoyas (4-0), the first time that has happened under coach John Thompson III.

“We have a bunch of guys in that locker room that can score points,” the sixth-year coach said. “Who scores the points is irrelevant to this group as long we’re taking the right shots.”

The Hoyas were doing just that for much of the afternoon against a Lafayette team that struggled to match Georgetown’s size and athleticism. The Hoyas were both unselfish and efficient, compiling 24 assists on 61 percent (36-for-59) shooting.

At the forefront of the onslaught was Clark, a sophomore guard from Arlington who is emerging as a much-needed wingman to Monroe. Clark had little trouble solving Lafayette’s zone, adding five rebounds and six assists to his game-high point total in what he said was his most complete effort to date in Hoyas uniform.

“He’s playing at a very high level right now and the game just comes to him,” Thompson said. “He’s very unselfish and he makes his shots. He does things that a basketball player does — he does the parts of the game very well when the ball is not in his hands that in turn helps our team.”

Lafayette (4-2) stuck around with the Hoyas for the first 10 minutes thanks to a combination of hot shooting and Georgetown’s futility from the perimeter. Five of the Leopards’ first seven field goals were from beyond the arc, and when a Jared Mintz 3-pointer cut Georgetown’s lead to 20-19 with 10:16 remaining in the first half, Thompson called a timeout to talk over his team’s defensive strategy.

The Hoyas switched from man-to-man to a 2-3 zone, and the Leopards’ upset bid dissolved soon thereafter. The Hoyas outscored them 25-12 to take a comfortable 45-31 lead into the break that gradually increased until the final buzzer.