Xavier (25-4, 13-3 Big East) had won nine consecutive games before falling to Villanova 95-79 on Saturday. As a result, the Musketeers are no longer control their own destiny for the Big East regular-season title.
Nonetheless, Xavier bounced back with the victory over the Hoyas and is in position to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Quentin Goodin scored 19 points for Xavier, which made 11 of 29 shots from beyond the arc.
Jamorko Pickett had 21 points for Georgetown (15-11, 5-10). Jessie Govan, who leads the Hoyas with averages of 16.7 points and 10 rebounds per game, scored 15 and had 11 boards. Jahvon Blair provided 12 points off the bench, and Kaleb Johnson added 11 points for Georgetown.
A 3-pointer by Pickett gave the Hoyas a 50-47 lead with just over 16 minutes left in the game. The Musketeers responded with nine consecutive points, and a layup by Scruggs provided a 56-50 margin with 13:49 remaining.
The Hoyas struggled with possession and committed six turnovers over the opening eight minutes of the second half. Xavier took advantage, and a layup and free throw by Sean O'Mara (nine points) capped a 12-0 run and increased the lead to 59-50 with 11:57 left.
Marcus Derrickson hit a 3-pointer that ended a five-minute scoring drought by the Hoyas, but Kerem Kanter answered with a jumper. The Musketeers, though, could not put the Hoyas away.
Trey Dickerson made a layup that pulled Georgetown to within 66-60 with seven minutes left. However, Xavier stayed composed, and Goodin made a layup and a free throw that provided a 71-62 lead with 5:28 remaining.
From there, the Musketeers pulled away. A 3-pointer by Marshall provided a 77-63 margin, and the visitors were never threatened the rest of the way.
Xavier's Trevon Bluiett, who entered the game fifth in the Big East in scoring at 19.8 points per game, scored his only two points in the second half. He shot 1-for-10 from the floor.
The Musketeers beat Georgetown 96-91 in overtime on Feb. 3. Xavier leads the series 13-4, including five wins in a row and eight victories in the past nine meetings.
--Field Level Media
Xavier | Georgetown | |
Naji Marshall 21 | Scoring | Jamorko Pickett 21 |
Trevon Bluiett 4 | Assists | Jonathan Mulmore 6 |
J.P. Macura 7 | Rebounds | Jessie Govan 11 |
Quentin Goodin 6 | Free Throws Made | Jahvon Blair 4 |
Naji Marshall 3 | Steals | Trey Dickerson 2 |
Tyrique Jones 1 | Blocks | Jessie Govan 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Xavier | 89 | 49.2 | 11-29 | 14-16 | 18 | 36 | 2 | 5 | 12 |
Georgetown | 77 | 48.3 | 11-19 | 10-15 | 19 | 26 | 2 | 7 | 14 |