The #11 Hoyas Down the #3 Wildcats 78 – 64, Will Meet Connecticut in the Semifinals
March 12, 2026 –
The Villanova Wildcats worked hard in the regular season and got a bye to the quarterfinal round of the Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament. Their stay did not last long as the Georgetown Hoyas used defense and rebounding to eliminate Villanova 78 – 64 at Madison Square Garden in a physical, intense game.
Hoyas forward Julius Halaifouna scored a game-high in points with 21 and rebounds with 10. Duke Brennan had a team-high 14 points and in rebounds with 6 for the Wildcats.
Defense and Rebounding
Villanova was held to 37.7% shooting making 23 of 61 field goal attempts, and 7 of 29 from beyond the arc. The inconsistency on offense did not allow Nova to mount a charge. But off the boards Georgetown had a 46 – 25 advantage, 16 – 9 on the offensive glass. In second chance points Georgetown had a 17 – 8 advantage.
“I thought a little bit of our offense late in the second half, late in the first half dictated a little bit of our defense, and that was probably the first time all year that our offense kind of shifted to our defense instead of the other way around,” said Villanova Coach Kevin Willard.
Key Run of the Game
Villanova had the edge earlier by forcing Georgetown turnovers, 12 in the first half yet only 2 in the second half. Still, the game was in contention until late in the second half when the Hoyas stretched the lead to double-digits at the 8:20 mark 61 – 51. After Wildcats guard Tyler Perkins cut the gap to eight, the game turned in the Hoyas direction. Kayvaun Mulready hit back-to-back three-pointers from the right corner within 20 seconds to give Georgetown a 67 – 53 lead with 5:36 showing on the clock.
What the Numbers Say
Perkins scored 13 points while Bryce Lindsay had 11 for Nova.
The Hoyas shot 50.8% for the game (30 of 59). Four other Georgetown players posted double-figures scoring. Mulready scored 14 points. Jeremiah Williams also had 14 points and 6 assists. Malik Mace also had 6 helps and 12 points.
Up Next
Georgetown advances to a semifinal match against the #2 UConn Huskies. That game follows the St. John’s vs. Seton Hall game.
Villanova awaits the decision of the NCAA Selection Committee. They should have better news for the Wildcats.
“My message to these guys is just enjoying this a little bit,” Willard said. We’ll let this one sting. And after Selection Sunday, that’s a whole new season. Yeah, you got to give Georgetown credit, they played really good tonight.”
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: glenn@phillycollegesports.com
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