Jahmal McMurray recovered from a slow start and the SMU Mustangs withstood repeated challenges from a stubborn Georgetown squad to beat the Hoyas 81-73 on Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

The Mustangs handed the Hoyas their first setback at home on the season while bouncing back from a loss to rival TCU that snapped their four-game winning streak. McMurray finished with a game-high 19 points while Ethan Chargois chipped in 17 points for SMU, which evened its all-time series with Georgetown. The Hoyas won the only previous meeting between the programs in the second round of the 1984 NCAA Tournament en route to their lone national championship.

Isiaha Mike added 17 points and nine rebounds while Nat Dixon scored 11 points, all in the first half, off the bench for the Mustangs.

Senior center Jessie Govan paired 17 points with seven boards for the Hoyas while freshmen guards James Akinjo and Mac McClung combined for 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

McMurray, who didn't score until just 1:28 remaining in the first half, drilled a 3-pointer 39 seconds into the second half that gave the Mustangs their first double-digit lead at 44-34. From that point, SMU managed a response whenever the Hoyas manufactured a run.

After Govan capped a 9-0 Georgetown streak with a three-point play that sliced the deficit to 56-54, SMU rebuilt the advantage to seven points when McMurray drained a corner 3-point shot with 13:04 to play.

Georgetown again clawed to within two at 65-63 on a Govan dunk out of a halfcourt set, only for Chargois to hit a 3-pointer off the pass from Jimmy Whitt Jr. for a 70-63 lead with 6:23 left.

At the start, the Mustangs fashioned an 11-2 run that catapulted them into the lead, doing so without contributions from McMurray, their leading scorer. Dixon proved instrumental while converting his first four shot attempts, including a 3-pointer at the 9:34 mark that gave SMU a 19-17 lead.

Sophomore swingman Jamorko Pickett was held out of the game by coach Patrick Ewing and was in street clothes on the bench. Senior Kaleb Johnson replaced Pickett in the starting lineup.

--Field Level Media