12 P.M.: No. 7 Villanova At No. 2 Georgetown, Unless It Gets Snowed Out Or Something

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Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Austin Freeman scored 25 points and Jason Clark added 24, as seventh-ranked Georgetown handed No. 2 Villanova its first conference loss of the season with a 103-90 victory at the Verizon Center.

Greg Monroe contributed 19 points for the Hoyas (17-5, 7-4 Big East), who raced out to a huge first-half lead and held on down the stretch to bounce back from Wednesday’s stunning home loss to South Florida. Georgetown also avenged an 82-77 setback to the Wildcats on January 17 in Philadelphia.

Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher each scored 24 points for Villanova (20-2, 9-1), which had been the lone unbeaten team in Big East play. The Wildcats had won 11 straight games since their first loss of the season on December 13 at Temple.

Georgetown took control early, scoring seven of the game’s first nine points, but Villanova quickly answered and took an 8-7 edge. A Reynolds three gave the Wildcats a 14-12 lead, but Chris Wright followed with a shot from beyond the arc.

The Hoyas were nursing a one-point lead at 19-18 before a 21-5 burst opened some breathing room. Freeman ignited the spurt with consecutive three-pointers near the midway point of the half and Clark hit a pair from beyond the arc for a 40-23 cushion with just over five minutes to play before the intermission.

A layup by Freeman with just under two minutes left stretched the margin to 23 and the Hoyas settled for a 50-31 lead at the break.

Villanova cut its deficit to 13 a couple of times early in the second half, but Georgetown was ahead by 20 with nine minutes to play. The Wildcats then stormed back and drew within 81-71 on a free throw by Reynolds with just over five minutes remaining.

A Freeman free throw and a three-point play by Julian Vaughn pushed the Hoya lead back to 14 and Villanova got only as close as 10 from there. A three-pointer by Taylor King pulled the Wildcats within 87-77 with three minutes to play, but the Hoyas sealed the contest from the line.

Georgetown made 39-of-50 free throws and hit 10-of-19 from three-point range, led by Clark’s 6-for-7 effort.

Vaughn finished with 13 points in the victory, while Wright had only seven...Villanova was 17-of-23 from the stripe.