Georgetown puts Big East win streak on line vs. Villanova
Once one of the premier powerhouses of the Big East Conference, Georgetown has not won five straight league games since 2013.
Saturday in Washington, D.C., the Hoyas (13-10, 5-7) have a chance to accomplish the feat, but it won't be easy as they face Villanova (17-5, 8-3).
The sudden turnaround of Georgetown came after it lost six straight, with the final defeat of that skid coming at Villanova 66-51 as the Hoyas committed 17 turnovers and made just 34.0% of their shots from the field.
The Hoyas have shown vast improvement over the past two weeks, topping two of the teams that beat them last month. Now they have a chance to avenge another defeat.
The most recent win came at home Tuesday over Creighton 76-68 as KJ Lewis and Malik Mack scored 22 and 20 points respectively and combined for 13 rebounds and seven steals.
"It's not where we started, it's where we're going and what we're trying to do," Georgetown coach Ed Cooley told his team afterward in a video-taped session in the locker room. "Take care of one another. Little by little, we're making steps."
Vince Iwuchukwu, Georgetown's 7-foot-1 center who missed 10 games earlier this year when he underwent a medical procedure, has scored in double figures in each game of the Hoyas' streak, including a 14-point, 10-rebound performance against Creighton.
While Georgetown needs to keep winning to enter the NCAA Tournament discussion, Villanova has strong credentials at No. 32 in the NET Rankings.
Not that coach Kevin Willard is satisfied.
"We've got a lot of work to do," Willard said Tuesday after completing a regular-season sweep of his former team, Seton Hall, with a 72-60 win.
"You should be looking at your team right now in February and saying, ‘What do I need to improve? What do I need to fix?' Willard added. "I'm not satisfied with anything."
The balanced Wildcats have six players averaging between 9.5 and 13.6 points per game and are the best 3-point shooting team in the Big East at 36.5%.
The top threats are backcourt mates Bryce Lindsay (13.6 points), who has 58 triples, and Tyler Perkins (13 points), who has made 39 3-pointers.