PHILADELPHIA – The Georgetown University men's basketball team couldn't hold off a second-half comeback from the No. 14/14 Villanova Wildcats, dropping a 77-65 decision at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon. With the loss, the Hoyas slip to 14-8 on the year with a 4-5 mark in BIG EAST play.
 
James Akinjo (Oakland, Calif. / Salesian College Preparatory) led three Hoyas in double figures as he tallied 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting. Trey Mourning (Miami, Fla. / Ransom Everglades) followed up with 12 points while Jamorko Pickett (Washington, D.C. / Massanutten Military Academy [Va.]) chipped in 10. Josh LeBlanc (Baton Rouge, La. / Madison Prep Academy) led the squad with eight rebounds while Akinjo dished out a quartet of helpers to lead the team. Villanova outrebounded the Hoyas 45-42 and limited the Blue & Gray to a 23-of-68 effort from the floor (.338).
 
Georgetown opened the game on an 8-4 run bolstered by Akinjo jumpers and a Pickett layup. The Wildcats strung together eight straight to take the lead before a Mourning free throw ended the run. The Hoyas struggled to get the offense going but a pair of GU layups pulled the Blue & Gray within four, trailing 17-13. Coming out of the huddle, the Hoyas cut the deficit to two on a pair of Jagan Mosely (Marlboro, N.J. / St. Anthony) free throws.
 
The 'Cats kept pushing and led by as many as seven, 22-15, before a jumper from Greg Malinowski (Chantilly, Va. / Episcopal / William & Mary) made it a two-possession game. Despite VU knocking down a pair of free throws, Malinowski drained a 3-pointer on the right side to close the gap to four, 24-20. Free throws on both sides put the Blue & Gray within striking distance before a Pickett 3-pointer knotted the game at 25 and a Jahvon Blair (Brampton, Ontario / Athlete Institute Prep) triple pushed GU ahead 28-25.
 
Villanova tallied seven straight but a Mourning hook shot ended the run and pulled the Blue & Gray within a pair at 32-30. A couple more free throws in the waning moments set up Akinjo's buzzer-beating triple to give GU the 34-33 lead going into the break.
 
The 'Cats came out firing in the second frame tallying a quick six but Akinjo floated in his jumper to stop the run. A pair of athletic buckets from McClung under the basket made it a one-point game as the Hoyas trailed 41-40. As Villanova hit another bucket, Akinjo found an opening on the left side to sink another 3-pointer, tying the game at 43. The knot was short-lived as VU scrounged up another three points but the Hoyas pulled within one on the Mourning layup.
 
Each time Villanova pulled ahead, the Hoyas found an answer to stay within a possession, including a LeBlanc jumper. A LeBlanc free throw tied the game up at 50 but Villanova forged ahead once more with the long ball. An inbound from Malinowski with just three seconds on the shot clock resulted in an Akinjo triple to tie the game at 53. However, five unanswered from the 'Cats forced the GU timeout with 5:41 remaining in regulation.
 
Georgetown free throws ended the run at eight as the Hoyas clawed back to within six, 61-55, but Villanova managed a quick five to take a double-digit lead. The Hoyas worked to cut the deficit but they would get as close as eight before the 'Cats sealed the 77-65 victory.
 
Villanova's Collin Gillespie led the Wildcats with 30 points. No. 14 Villanova (18-4, 9-0 BIG EAST), still atop the BIG EAST standings, shot 42.1 percent (24 of 57) from the field. 
 
Georgetown continues its road swing with a rematch against the Providence College Friars on Wednesday, Feb. 6. In the earlier season matchup, the Hoyas won a thriller in double overtime. Tipoff at Dunkin' Donuts Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the game can be seen live on FS1. The game can be heard locally on The Team 980 and on SiriusXM with Rich Chvotkin calling the action.
 
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For tickets, please visit WeAreGeorgetown.com or contact the Georgetown Athletic Ticket Office at 202.687.HOYA (4692) or hoyatickets@georgetown.edu.