For only the second time this season (both in conference play) Villanova suffer a loss, as Georgetown beat the number four team in the country 78-58 to take the lead in the Big East.
Worthy of storming the court? Head coach John Thompson III didn’t think so, but Villanova aren’t a regular rival, and considering how highly regarded they are this season and the manner in which Georgetown dominated them, maybe it was a case that deserved a little bit of special celebration. Villanova have a previous loss to Seton Hall, the only other ranked team in the conference. Georgetown have beaten Florida, no longer ranked, earlier this season.
The kids, the fans, the students watch a lot of TV, so they’re excited, they storm the court. Yeah, I probably wish they hadn’t done that. That’s a team that puts you in a bind in so many ways, and they had an off night. We had a lot to do with them having an off night, but they weren’t at their best tonight.
Georgetown had the game wrapped up at half time, leading by 22 points. They held the Wildcats to just 34.1% from the field and forced 17 turnovers. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera scored 17 points to co-lead his team’s scoring, getting help from Isaac Copeland with 17 as well. Villanova struggled getting open looks, especially in the first half, and went more than seven minutes without a point during that half while Georgetown built a 30-11 lead that sealed the game.
This is how good the Hoyas can be, but it also had to do something with sloppy play from Villanova and giving up a bit too early. Despite the huge margin, it was very physical game with 51 fouls called on both teams, two ‘Nova players fouling out and a lot of bodies crashing to the floor even way after it was all over. Both head coaches used the result to shine a spotlight on the parity in the Big East, with five teams losing twice with a chance to lead or share it.