WASHINGTON (AP) (February 5, 2000) -- Anthony Perry led Georgetown (12-9, 3-6) with 17 points and Lee Scruggs and Ruben Boumtje Boumtje also scored in double figures as Georgetown fell to Villanova 72-69 at the MCI Center on Feb. 5.
Brooks Sales scored 17 points to lead the Wildcats.
The Wildcats (12-8, 3-5 Big East) squandered a 15-point second-half lead but rallied in the final minute to win the game.
Jermaine Medley, who started in place of suspended point guard Bobby Smith, made his only basket of the second half, a 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining, to put Villanova ahead 70-69. Medley's 3-pointer was reminscent of the shot he hit against Georgetown last year to lift the Wildcats to a 93-90 win in double overtime.
Georgetown had plenty of time to score to take back the lead, but Lee Scruggs threw a pass over the outstretched arms of Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, who was standing under the basket. The ball went out of bounds with 28 seconds left. The Hoyas were forced to foul Gary Buchanan, who sealed Villanova's win by making a pair of free throws with 13 seconds remaining. Kevin Braswell's 3-point attempt in the final seconds was blocked by Villanova's Malik Allen.
Georgetown, which held Villanova without a field goal for nearly five minutes to start the game, jumped out to a 10-0 lead. But then the Hoyas went through their own five-minute scoreless strech as the Wildcats used a 13-0 run to go ahead 19-13. Villanova continued to build on its lead and went into halftime up 38-26.
Georgetown, which ranks fifth in the nation in field goal percentage defense, allowed Villanova to make 51.6 percent of its shots from the field in the first half. The Wildcats shot 47.5 percent from the field for the game.
Villanova starting point guard Bobby Smith was suspended indefinitely for violation of team rules. Smith, who started 17 of 18 games this season, averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, did not travel to Washington with Villanova.
