"I was hoping that we would be able to win a close game before the tournament because we had lost so many close games and I thought our guys were losing confidence in relation to close games," Esherick said, referring to four of the five losses this season being by seven points or less. "So this was an important win for us because we closed out a close win and we made plays."
Braswell and freshman forward Mike Sweetney were the ones who made the plays for the Hoyas (20-5, 7-5 Big East), who broke a two-game losing streak and reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 1996-97, which was also the last season they played in the NCAA tournament. This was just the third victory this season for the Hoyas by less than 10 points.
The second half was about as close as teams can stay for 20 minutes with 17 lead changes, seven ties and each team holding a four-point lead once.
The final lead change came when Sweetney's jumper from just inside the top of the key with 1:35 left gave Georgetown a 72-70 lead.
"When I released it I was `Why did I shoot it?'" said Sweetney, who finished with 17 points. "But I made it. I tied to hold my follow-through and it went in."
Esherick had no problem with the 6-foot-8, 260-pound Sweetney taking the long jumper.
"I didn't care if he shot a hook from the 3-point line as long as it went in," Esherick said with a laugh.
Braswell then sandwiched four free throws around a 3-pointer by Todd Billet of Rutgers with 9.3 seconds left.
Braswell's second set of two free throws made it 76-73 with 8.2 seconds to play. As Rutgers set up for a shot at the tie, Braswell and Anthony Perry combined to strip the ball from Billet and Braswell dribbled down the floor as the clock ran out.
"That was a crucial steal because if he got another shot he might have tied it up," said Braswell, who relished being the man at the foul line as the clock wound down. "I love having the ball then. If I miss a shot I have to deal with Coach Esherick but I've gotten so used to it that I can take it. I've got confidence I can make those shots."
Perry added 15 points for Georgetown. Demetrius Hunter, the Hoyas' third-leading scorer at 9.7 points per game, who aggravated an Achilles' tendon injury in the opening minute and never returned to the game.
Billet had 20 points for the Scarlet Knights (10-13, 2-10), who have lost 10 of 12, while Jeff Greer added 18.
Billet, who is second in the Big East in 3-point shooting 48.8 percent, finished 5-of-7 from 3-point range after going 1-for-8 in Wednesday night's loss to Notre Dame.
"They made shots and the free throws," Billet said. "In a close game the mistakes look even bigger. It's the little things you have to do against a great team and we didn't."
Rutgers came up short in four of its last five possessions, including the last one when Billet couldn't get off a chance at a tie.
"I was trying to get it up as quickly as possible but it got knocked away," Billet said.
Braswell, who finished 8-for-8 from the line, brought the Hoyas into ties at 68-68 and 70-70.
Sweetney was 7-for-7 from the foul line and the Hoyas were 21-for-24, while Rutgers, the worst free throw shooting team in the conference at 58 percent, was 18-for-28.
"You look at 87 percent for them and 64 percent for us and that's the killer for us," Rutgers coach Kevin Bannon said of the free throw shooting. "Down the stretch we didn't execute the way we had to."
