Villanova meets Georgetown in regular season finale | Villanova vs. Georgetown Preview

WASHINGTON, D.C.—With its eyes set on March Madness, Villanova will end its regular season on Tuesday night against Georgetown in Washington D.C..

The Wildcats are listed on the bubble on many bracketology previews around the country, but they have a lot of work left to do, which includes a deep run in the Big East Tournament next week in New York City. Before Villanova can shift its focus to the Big East Tournament, it can extend its winning streak to four games with a victory over Georgetown (16-13, 7-11 Big East).

Villanova (18-12, 11-8) won its third consecutive game on Saturday against Butler on Senior Day at the Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats defeated Butler, 80-70, behind Eric Dixon’s 34-point performance. Jordan Longino also accumulated 14 points on four-for-eight shooting. The Wildcats made 51% of their field goals and 43% of their threes while scoring 80 points for the second time in their last three contests.

Dixon moved into sole possession of third place in program scoring history, passing Keith Herron. Dixon stands at 2,184 points in his college career, 38 points away from tying Scottie Reynolds for second place. He also tied Collin Gillespie for most games played in a Villanova uniform with 156 on Saturday. Dixon could become the leader in games played on Tuesday against the Hoyas.

First Matchup: January 20

Georgetown’s Second-Half Comeback

Georgetown defeated Villanova, 64-63, with a shocking second-half comeback at the Finn on January 20. The Hoyas erased an eight-point deficit with less than five minutes left in the game. They outscored the Wildcats, 37-29, in the final 20 minutes. Dixon scored 29 points, while Longino added 18 points. Wooga Poplar was ejected in the first half after an altercation with Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber.

Micah Peavy led the Hoyas with 24 points on nine-for-16 shooting, including six-for-nine from three-point range. Thomas Sorber and Jayden Epps both contributed 15 points for Georgetown. The Hoyas converted 36% of their field goals in this low-scoring battle.

The Hoyas’ Rough 10-Game Stretch

Georgetown has lost three consecutive games, including losses to Creighton, UConn, and Marquette. Since their win against the Wildcats, the Hoyas have lost seven of their last 10 contests.

The Hoyas average almost 72 points per contest. They convert 45% of their field goals and 31% of their three-point attempts. Although Georgetown does not have much success from behind the arc, it averages 35.6 rebounds per contest to help generate offense.

The Hoyas’ defense allows 68 points per game. Their opponents convert 34% of their threes. Georgetown has allowed at least 70 points in its last five contests, including a 76-61 loss to Marquette on Saturday.

Sorber will miss the remainder of the season due to foot surgery

Last week, the Hoyas received the devastating news that Sorber will miss the rest of the season due to foot surgery. The star freshman forward from Trenton, NJ, averaged more than 14 points and eight rebounds. Sorber has received NBA Draft attention in his first season at the collegiate level.

Micah Peavy, a fifth-year senior guard from Cibolo, TX, leads Georgetown with 16 points per game. The TCU transfer also averages more than five rebounds per contest, while converting 37% of his three-point attempts. He scored 15 points against Marquette.

Jayden Epps has also played well in his second season with Georgetown. He averages more than 12 points per contest. However, he was just two-for-15 from the field for seven points against the Golden Eagles. Before Saturday’s game, Epps averaged 17 points in his last four games.

Malik Mack, a sophomore guard transfer from Harvard, also averages more than 12 points per contest for the Hoyas. He scored just three points against Villanova in the first matchup. Mack has scored less than 10 points in four of his last six games.

All-Time Series + Big East Standings Update

The Wildcats lead the all-time series, 51-46. Coach Neptune is 5-1 against Georgetown in his head coaching tenure.

Villanova currently holds the sixth seed in the Big East standings, which would result in a first-round game on Wednesday night in the Big East Tournament. The tournament starts on March 12 at Madison Square Garden.

Game Info + WXVU’s Live Coverage

Tuesday’s conference finale is scheduled to begin at 8pm at Capital One Arena. WXVU’s pregame coverage will start at 7:30pm.