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GU MBB 77, No. 4/4 Xavier 89

WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University men's basketball team dropped an 89-77 decision at home to the visiting No. 4/4 Xavier University Musketeers on Wednesday night. With the loss, the Hoyas slip to 15-11 overall and 5-10 on the season. The Musketeers, first in the BIG EAST standings, improve to 25-4 on the season with a 13-3 mark in league action.

"They just outplayed us and wanted it more than we did in the second half," Head Coach Patrick Ewing said after the game. "We were right there in the first half ... Even though they went up big, we came back and fought. They just outplayed us in the second half."

Freshman guard Jamorko Pickett (Washington, D.C./Massanutten Military Academy [Va.]) tied a career high with 21 points to lead four in double figures. Pickett tallied all of his points on 3-pointers, where he knocked down 6-of-7, and free throws. Junior center Jessie Govan (Queens Village, N.Y./Wings Academy) chipped in 15 points and 11 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season. Freshman guard Jahvon Blair (Brampton, Ont./Athlete Institute Prep) added 12 points while junior forward Kaleb Johnson (South Hill, Va./The Carlisle School) tallied 11 to round out those in double figures. Jonathan Mulmore (New Orleans, La./Redemption Christian [Texas]/Allegany) paced the offense with a team-best six assists.

For the game, Georgetown shot 48.3 percent from the field and managed 11-of-19 from 3-point land. The Hoyas were outrebounded, 38-29, as the Musketeers are just the fifth team to accomplish that feat this season.

The Hoyas got on the board with a trio of 3-pointers from Pickett to take the 9-4 lead. Govan managed the jumper at 15:11 to pull ahead, 11-6, but XU answered right back with a five quick points to even the score at 11. A bucket from junior forward Marcus Derrickson (Bowie, Md./Brewster Academy [N.H.]) gave the Hoyas the 13-11 advantage but another quick five points gave the Musketeers the 16-13 advantage before a 3-pointer and a layup from Johnson pushed the Blue & Gray ahead, 18-16.

Both teams traded baskets but GU looked to the leadership of Govan, who tallied eight-consecutive points for GU, to take the 28-26 lead before a Derrickson bucket pushed the advantage to four, 30-26, with 7:11 left in the frame. Georgetown built the lead to seven, 35-28, behind a triple from graduate student guard Trey Dickerson (Queens, N.Y./God's Academy [Texas]/South Dakota) and a pair of free throws from Blair. XU continued to chip away and eventually took the 38-37 lead with two minutes to play. However, a Pickett trey with six seconds left in the frame sent the Hoyas into the break with a 40-38 advantage.

Coming out of the break, the teams went back and forth and it was a one-possession game until the Musketeers tallied 12 unanswered points to take the 59-50 lead. Derrickson's 3-pointer at 11:11 stopped the bleeding and pulled GU within six points, 59-53. Free throws from Pickett kept GU in the game and a Blair triple cut the deficit to five, 63-58, at 9:02. XU used a 14-7 run capped by a pair of 3-pointers to open up a 77-65 lead.

Georgetown strung together a Govan jumper, Blair triple and a pair of free throws from Mulmore to make it a single-digit affair, 79-70, with less than three minutes remaining. However, that was as close as the Blue & Gray would get, eventually falling 89-77.

Xavier shot 49.2 percent from the floor, connecting on 16-of-28 field goals. Naji Marshall scored 21 points to lead XU.

The Hoyas will be back in action at their downtown home on Saturday, February 24, welcoming the Providence College Friars to the District. Tipoff at Capital One Arena is set for noon and the game will be shown live on CBS Sports Network with Andrew Catalon calling the play-by-play, Steve Lappas providing analysis and Tina Cervasio serving as the sideline reporter. The game can be heard locally on WNEW 99.1 FM with Rich Chvotkin handling the call. The Georgetown men's basketball team will honor the seniors of the 2017-18 season in a pregame ceremony at half court.