New York, NY— The Georgetown Hoyas continued their surprising run in the Big East Tournament Thursday night, defeating the Villanova Wildcats 78–64 in the quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden.
Julius Halaifonua led the 11th-seeded Hoyas with 21 points and 10 rebounds, delivering a double-double to help Georgetown secure its third straight win after previously enduring a seven-game losing streak. With the victory, Georgetown improved to 16–17 and advanced to the semifinals, where it will face the UConn Huskies on Friday.
Kayvaun Mulready contributed 14 points on a perfect shooting night, going 5-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, while also grabbing eight rebounds. Jeremiah Williams also scored 14 points, hitting six of his 14 shots.
Villanova, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, was paced by Duke Brennan, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds and two steals. Tyler Perkins added 13 points, and Bryce Lindsay chipped in 11 points along with two steals.
The teams battled through a tight first half before Georgetown grabbed control late. The Hoyas moved in front for good with less than a minute remaining before the break and carried a 35–31 advantage into halftime, with Halaifonua accounting for 14 of those points.
Georgetown gradually pulled away after halftime. A decisive 10–2 run in the second half stretched a narrow two-point lead to double digits, giving the Hoyas enough breathing room to close out the upset. Williams led the charge in the final period, scoring a team-high 12 points as Georgetown outscored Villanova by 10 in the second half.
The semifinal matchup between Georgetown and UConn will feature two of the conference’s founding programs. Along with the St. John’s Red Storm and the Seton Hall Pirates in the other semifinal, it marks the first time since 1994 that four original Big East members have reached the tournament’s final four.
