Heart-Stopping Finish: Wildcats Edged by Georgetown in Nail-Biter, 64-63

Final Outcome: Georgetown 64, Villanova 63
 
Summary
 
Georgetown registered the final nine points of the match, including the decisive basket by Micah Peavy with just under two seconds remaining, to narrowly defeat Villanova 64-63 on Monday evening at Finneran Pavilion.
 
A well-executed final play with 1.8 seconds left, delivered a pass the length of the court into the awaiting hands of Eric Dixon. Dixon attempted a turn-around 12-footer that ricocheted off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
 
 “A significant portion of the credit goes to Georgetown,” expressed Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. “I believed our players fought hard. Georgetown persisted throughout the game and locked us down in the final moments. We simply fell short in the end.”
 
Dixon topped Villanova with 29 points while Jordan Longino contributed 18 points. However, the remaining Wildcats were largely contained by the Hoyas, who received 24 points from Peavy and 15 points from Jayden Epps.
 
Rebounds Mattered
 
Georgetown captured five of the initial seven rebounds of the game, allowing it to establish a 5-3 advantage over the Wildcats through 4:10 of game play. The Wildcats obtained a 3-pointer from Wooga Poplar on their first possession but faced a scoring drought for four minutes until an Eric Dixon step-back 3-pointer following an inbounds play concluded the dry spell and put the ‘Cats ahead, 6-5.
 
A 7-0 run fueled by a 3-pointer by Dixon and a dunk by Enoch Boakye, propelled Villanova to a 13-7 lead. However, Jhamir Brickus was called for his second foul moments later and Poplar received a technical foul after a scuffle and was disqualified from the game. The Hoyas’ Thomas Sorber also received a technical foul.
 
By the conclusion of the night, Villanova would own a 41-30 advantage on the boards, with Boakye grabbing a dozen rebounds.
 
Longino Contributed
 
With Poplar sidelined for the remainder of the matchup and Brickus having accumulated two fouls, the Wildcats’ third guard in their starting lineup, Longino, stepped up significantly. Besides his tenacious defense, the Doylestown, Pa., native added 11 points to complement the 16 points scored in the first 20 minutes by Dixon.
 
Most of that scoring occurred against a zone defense implemented by the Hoyas.
 
Villanova entered the locker room with a 34-27 lead.
 
Peavy netted 11 points to lead Georgetown, while Sorber, the Hoyas’ top freshman, added nine points.
 
The Wildcats restricted Georgetown to 8-of-26 shooting during the first 20 minutes (.308) and, after the early setback, maintained a 22-16 advantage on the boards.
 
Second Half
 
A Brickus 3-pointer enabled Villanova to start the second half positively, and the Wildcats netted eight of the first 13 points in the period.
 
A 6-0 run by Georgetown, driven by guard Jayden Epps, trimmed the Villanova lead to 46-41 with 12:14 to go in the second half. Full-court pressure from the Hoyas unsettled the Wildcats, leading to a pair of turnovers.
 
Dixon and Longino assisted VU in extending its lead to 53-44, but the Hoyas converted three consecutive 3-pointers, including a pair in the corner from Peavy, and the lead shrunk to 59-53 with 6:10 remaining.
 
Hoyas’ Intensity Took Its Toll
 
The Hoyas forced 16 turnovers from the Wildcats during the match, including three in the last 4:52.
 
“The turnovers impacted us,” Neptune stated. “They pressured us into challenging situations and were exceptionally physical.”
 
Georgetown was trailing 63-62 when it regained control of the ball after Dixon missed a turnaround jumper with 26 seconds left. A couple of intentional fouls from VU – the Wildcats had two fouls to give – awarded possession to the Hoyas with 12.8 seconds remaining and the 6,501 spectators in Finneran Pavilion on their feet. Peavy drove towards the basket and managed to finish, giving Georgetown its first lead since the early stages of the contest.
 
What They Expressed
 
Neptune: “On the final play, I thought we executed well. Peavy made a challenging shot. He went to his weaker side. I felt he created a bit of separation with a jab. I recognize people don’t perceive it as we do, but there were a total of 200 minutes for each athlete. Numerous minor details throughout the game can alter the result. Just one aspect can make the distinction.”
 
Next Steps
 
Villanova is set to travel to Milwaukee on Thursday to gear up for a Friday evening clash with Marquette. The tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. eastern time at Fiserv Forum (FS1 and the Villanova Sports Network on IHeart/Fox Sports Philadelphia radio).