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Georgetown 81, Charlotte 78

Georgetown senior guard Aaron Bowen (Jacksonville, Fla./QEA [N.C.]) and freshman forward L.J. Peak (Gaffney, S.C./Gaffney) each connected on a pair of late free throws in the final 30 seconds as the Hoyas held on for an 81-78 win over Charlotte in front of 7,858 fans at Verizon Center Saturday afternoon.

It was the third win in the last four games for the Hoyas, who improve to 7-3 overall, while the 49ers fall to 6-5.

Bowen hit all four of his attempts during the game and finished with 11 points and four rebounds, one of five Hoyas to reach double figures in scoring.

Peak scored a game-high 18 points and had three rebounds, while junior guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central/Oak Hill) added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists, senior center Joshua Smith (Kent, Wash./Kentwood/UCLA) had 12 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots and senior guard Jabril Trawick (Philadelphia, Pa./Abington Friends) recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.

Georgetown led 77-76 with 1:59 to play after Charlotte's Mike Thorne Jr. made one of two free throws. The Hoyas could not extend their lead and the 49ers had a chance to take the lead, but a missed 3-pointer from Braxton Ogbueze was rebounded by Trawick and Bowen was fouled with 25 seconds left, hit both free throws and extended the lead to 79-76.

A layup from Charlotte's Keyshawn Woods cut the lead to 79-78 and Peak hit two free throws with eight seconds on the clock for the final margin. A three-pointer from Woods at the buzzer was off the mark.

The Hoyas had led by 14 points in the first half and saw the lead shrink to seven points (38-31) at the half before out-scoring the 49ers 11-4 over the first 2:50 of the second half to take a 49-35 lead on a dunk from freshman forward Isaac Copeland (Raleigh, N.C./Brewster Academy [N.H.]).

Georgetown maintained that lead through the mid-point of the second half, taking its biggest lead, 16 points at 60-44, on free throws from Bowen with 12:42 to play in the game. The lead was still 15 points, 67-52, after a Bowen 3-pointer with 10:35 to play in the half.

The 49ers began to chip away, but the Hoyas still maintained a 10-point lead, 74-64, on free throws from Smith with 5:57 to play in the game. Three 3-pointers - one from Woods and two from Ogbueze, the latter with 3:13 to play - cur the lead to 77-75, setting up the dramatic finish.

In the first half, Charlotte had taken a quick 6-4, but the Hoyas responded with a 12-2 run over 1:57 and took a 16-8 lead on a layup from Trawick at the 15:37 mark. A 3-pointer from sophomore forward Reggie Cameron (Hackensack, N.J./Hudson Catholic) gave Georgetown a 26-17 lead at the 9-minute mark and a layup from Peak pushed the lead to 10 points, 32-22.

Peak's layup was part of a 15-7 run over 5:27 as the Hoyas took their biggest lead, 38-24, on a layup from Smith-Rivera with 3:33 to play in the half.

Georgetown finished the game shooting 39.4 percent from the floor (26-of-66), hit 35.3 percent of its 3-pointers (6-of-17) and was 76.7 percent from the free throw line (23-of-30). Charlotte shot 46.0 percent from the floor (23-of-50). The Hoyas held a 43-32 advantage in rebounding.

Georgetown is back in action on Saturday, Dec. 27, playing Indiana at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game tips off at noon and will be shown live on ESPN2 and can be heard locally on Sports Talk AM 570.