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Xavier Survives Late Push to Defeat Georgetown
By
Musketeer Madness,
2/5/2025
The Xavier Musketeers held off a furious second-half surge from the Georgetown Hoyas to secure a 74-69 victory at Cintas Center on Tuesday night. With the win, Xavier improved to 14-9 overall and an even 6-6 in BIG EAST play, while Georgetown fell to 14-9 and 5-7 in the conference.
The Musketeers were led by a balanced offensive attack, with four players scoring in double figures. Dailyn Swain paced Xavier with 18 points, while Zach Freemantle and Marcus Foster each contributed 17. Ryan Conwell added 11 points, including a key second-half three-pointer that helped Xavier maintain its lead.
Xavier started strong, jumping out to an early lead behind aggressive play from Swain and Freemantle. The Musketeers held a 30-26 edge at halftime, thanks in part to their defense, which limited Georgetown to just 40.7% shooting in the first half.
The Hoyas were led by Micah Peavy’s 27 points and Thomas Sorber’s inside presence, Georgetown quickly erased Xavier’s lead and took a brief advantage midway through the period. The Hoyas shot an impressive 57.1% in the second half, putting pressure on Xavier’s defense.
Despite the Hoyas’ hot shooting, Xavier responded with clutch baskets from Foster and Freemantle. A fast-break dunk by Swain at the 16:56 mark gave the Musketeers their largest lead of the game at nine points. Georgetown refused to go away, cutting the deficit to just three with under two minutes remaining.
With the game on the line, Xavier’s free-throw shooting proved to be the difference. The Musketeers shot 17-of-19 from the charity stripe, including key makes by Foster and Swain in the final moments to seal the win. Georgetown, on the other hand, struggled at the line, converting just 8-of-13 attempts.
Defensively, Xavier forced 13 Georgetown turnovers and held the Hoyas to just 30.4% from beyond the arc. The Musketeers also won the rebounding battle 31-24, with Foster and Freemantle combining for 13 boards.
With the victory, Xavier moves back to .500 in BIG EAST play and gains momentum heading into a tough road matchup against Villanova on Sunday, Feb. 9. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center.
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