It was an uphill battle for Villanova for much of the afternoon.
After getting a lead in the second half, the Wildcats were in need of a closer as Georgetown would not go away. That is when Acaden Lewis stepped up.
With Villanova leading by two with 2:33 remaining, the D.C. native knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to put the team up eight. Despite poor foul shooting late, Villanova was able to hold on.
Lewis led the way with 26 points and six assists during his homecoming as the Wildcats avoided
a potential damaging loss with an 80-73 win over Georgetown in Washington, D.C.
The Wildcats (18-5, 9-3) were just 14-for-28 from the free throw line, including 4-for-11 in the final three minutes. Villanova made up for it with 10 made three’s with Lewis and Tyler Perkins knocking down three each.
Georgetown (13-11, 5-8) started out red hot, shooting 73% over the first six minutes of the contest. The Hoyas led by as many as six in the first half before taking a 40-37 lead into the break.
It was a back-and-forth start to the second half as Lewis and Perkins knocked down three’s to give Villanova the lead. Georgetown punched back with a 10-1 run highlighted by a Malik Mack three to put the Hoyas back up six. Mack led Georgetown with 21 points.
As the second half went on, Villanova began turning up the defensive pressure, forcing 14 Georgetown turnovers in the game. A Lewis layup put Villanova up 61-54 with over 10 minutes left. The Hoyas did not go away as another Mack three would later tie the game at 66. From that point on, it was Lewis’ game to close.
Duke Brennan logged his 10th double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Perkins added 15 points as Malachi Palmer contributed 10 off the bench.
The Wildcats continue to make up ground on the offensive end as Bryce Lindsay struggles finding his shot. The Wildcats’ leading scorer was held without a point, going 0-for-8 from the field and 0-for-6 from three-point range.
Villanova will be back in action on Tuesday as Marquette comes to town. The Wildcats will look to make it three wins in a row and five out of six.
The Wildcats are putting themselves in prime position to make a return to the NCAA Tournament after a three-year hiatus. In his hometown, Lewis made sure that Villanova would not pick up a blemish on its resume in D.C.
