Hoyas Beat Defending Champs Villanova, 85-73 (photos)
By • February 21, 2019 0 1379
In 1985, the Villanova Wildcats played a near-perfect game to pull off a stunning upset over Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas to win the national title. It was Ewing’s last game as a collegian. Thirty-four years later, Ewing earned his biggest victory to date as a coach by knocking off the 17th-ranked Wildcats 85-73 before a crowd of 11,624 that braved ice and snow to come to Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
The Feb. 20 win was the first for the Hoyas (16-10, 6-7 Big East) over a ranked opponent since 2017, and Ewing’s first against a top-25 opponent in eight tries. Villanova (20-7, 11-3 Big East), having fallen to St. John’s the previous Sunday in a game they once led by 19 points, has now lost consecutive conference games for the first time since realignment in 2013, a span of 104 games. Villanova had won nine in a row and 12 of their last 13 games against the Hoyas, including a 33-point rout on the same floor just one year ago.
It was a complete effort from start to finish. The Hoyas never trailed after pulling ahead 9-8 early in the first half on a Josh LeBlanc dunk off a perfect feed from Jessie Govan. Villanova’s reliable seniors Phil Booth (26 points) and Eric Paschall (16 points) contributed over half of Nova’s scoring. But the Cats had no answer for Govan, the Hoyas’ 6-foot-10 center, whose 21 points tied him with Mac McClung for team leadership. Govan also had a game-high 11 rebounds.
Villanova, which normally lives or dies from the three-point line, was ice cold, making just nine of 38 tries. The Hoyas would shoot 51 percent overall from the field to Villanova’s 38 percent.
When the game was over, former Hoyas’ head coach John Thompson Jr. gave his old student Ewing a great big bear-hug.
The Hoyas next play at Creighton on Saturday, Feb. 23. The next home game will be against DePaul on Wednesday, Feb 27, at 7 p.m., again at Capital One Arena.
View Jeff Malet’s photos of the game from courtside by clicking on the photo icons below.
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- Villanova’s Phil Booth (5) is called for an offensive foul for colliding with Hoyas’ Mac McClung (2) in the 2nd half. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Hoyas’ Freshman point guard James Akinjo (3) with the ball in the first half. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Collin Gillespie (2) hits the deck. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Jessie Govan (15) is guarded by Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree (21) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Eric Paschall (4) moves against Georgetown’s freshman Josh LeBlanc (23) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s senior guard Phil Booth (5) drives past Hoyas’ freshman James Akinjo (3) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Saddiq Bey (15) of VIllanova is guarded by Jamorko Pickett (1) of the Hoyas. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s freshman guard Jahvon Quinerly (1) drives between Hoyas Josh LeBlanc (23) and James Akinjo (3) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Collin Gillespie (2) moves past Hoyas’ Jessie Govan (15) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Hoyas’ freshman guard Mac McClung (2) scored 21. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Phil Booth (5) led all scorers with 26 points. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova senior Eric Paschall (4) scored 16. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Phil Booth (5) goes up to score two of his game-high 26 points over Kaleb Johnson (32) of the Hoyas. Photo by Jeff Malet.
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- Jamorko Pickett (1) of the Hoyas with the ball in the first half. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Collin Gillespie (2) is guarded by Greg Malinowski (11) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Phil Booth (5) is guarded by Hoyas’ Jagan Mosely (4) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Eric Paschall (4) drives against Greg Malinowski (11) in the 2nd half. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Jessie Govan led with 11 rebounds. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Phil Booth (5) led all scorers with 26 points. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Phil Booth (5) drives the baseline. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Greg Malinowski (11) of the Hoyas is surrounded by Villanova Wildcats. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Collin Gillespie (2) is guarded by Mac McClung (2) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Brandon Slater (3) is guarded by Jessie Govan (15) of the Hoyas. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Saddiq Bey (15) of the Cats is guarded by Jessie Govan (15) of the Hoyas. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Collin Gillespie (2) is guarded by Mac McClung (2) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Jahvon Quinerly (1) of the Cats goes up for a shot. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Villanova’s Phil Booth (5) is guarded by Jessie Govan (15) of the Hoyas. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- James Akinjo (3) celebrates a victory.
