Micah’s 27-point night not quite enough against Musketeers
Coming off their fifth BIG EAST win of the season against Butler last week, your Georgetown Hoyas returned to action to face the Xavier Musketeers. Xavier entered the game after falling to Creighton in Omaha over the weekend. Earlier in the year, Georgetown bested Xavier by six points at Capital One Arena behind 26 points from Malik Mack. However, the Hoyas’ recent losing skid dropped them into a four-way tie for fifth place in the BIG EAST with Providence, Villanova, and Xavier. Notably, Jayden Epps missed his second straight game.
FINAL | Xavier 74, Georgetown 69
A little sloppy but the Muskies secure one they needed to win. Marcus Foster (17 pts, 13 rebs) and Dailyn Swain (18 pts, 6 rebs, 4 ast) really led the charge.
Zach Freemantle added 17 and Dante Maddox hit two big 3s down the stretch.
— Adam Baum (@AdamJBaum) February 5, 2025
Right out of the gate, the Hoyas looked to Thomas Sorber (17PTS, 3REB, 2AST, 2BLK) early and often, and the six-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week delivered, scoring Georgetown’s first six points around the rim. Despite Sorber’s early success, both teams appeared rusty, committing a pair of turnovers each just five minutes into the game. After the under-16 timeout, Drew Fielder (3PTS, 6REB) got in on the scoring with a three from the wing, and the Georgetown bigs controlled the offense as the Hoyas opened up a 16-12 lead 10 minutes into the game.
While the Hoyas’ offense struggled to find its rhythm, their defense was once again the story early on. Georgetown forced Xavier into tough shots and turnovers—so much so that Xavier head coach Sean Miller burned a timeout to settle his team with just under 10 minutes left in the half.
For Georgetown, Micah Peavy (27PTS, 4REB, 4AST) was the standout late in the first half. It felt like there were three of him on the court. He was everywhere on defense, which comes as no surprise to Hoyas fans who have watched him develop into one of the best defenders the program has seen in the last decade—if not in school history. Peavy’s defensive energy translated to the offensive end, as he drilled a couple of threes and extended the Hoyas’ lead to 22-16 at the under-eight timeout, prompting the Xavier coaching staff to take out their frustration on a clipboard.
Out of the timeout, Sean Miller fired up his squad, and Xavier responded with an 8-0 run to tie the game. The energy in the Cintas Center began to build as the Musketeers closed the half on a 14-2 run. Despite Georgetown’s defensive efforts—forcing eight first-half Xavier turnovers—the Hoyas’ offensive struggles resurfaced, as they were held scoreless for the final four minutes of the half. When the dust settled, Georgetown trailed 30-26 heading into intermission.
Georgetown’s offense didn’t improve after halftime. The offense felt laborious. Malik Mack (13PTS, 4REB, 6AST) struggled to get anything going, committing a few sloppy turnovers as Xavier capitalized in transition and stretched its lead to seven early in the half, forcing Ed Cooley to call his second timeout following a well-executed pick-and-roll that led to a Sorber dunk.
By the under-12 timeout, Georgetown had cut the deficit to four: 41-37. Despite the run, it felt like a missed opportunity for the Hoyas. Once again, their defense stifled Xavier, but they couldn’t convert on the offensive end. From there, the game became a stalemate. Every time Caleb Williams (3PTS, 3REB) trimmed the lead to one, Xavier had an answer. When the Musketeers threatened to pull away, Peavy and Mack were there to keep it close. With 4:08 remaining, Cooley used his third timeout immediately after a Peavy layup to keep the Hoyas within striking distance, trailing 60-55.
Over the final four minutes, Georgetown pressed, but Xavier found ways to score. The Hoyas fought hard, making Xavier earn every bucket, trapping on inbounds plays, and generating a couple of scoring chances.
However, the four-point halftime lead proved to be just enough for Xavier to keep Georgetown at arm’s length. The Hoyas can compete with anyone defensively, but at some point, the offense needs to come alive to reward their defensive effort. Unfortunately, tonight wasn’t that night.
Final score: 74-69
Xavier beats Georgetown 74-69, but there was a wild ending at the Cintas Center.
Hoyas coach Ed Cooley got into an altercation with a Musketeers fan. Xavier athletic director Greg Christopher jumped into action and was trying to calm down the fan.pic.twitter.com/2t1Xhf790y
— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) February 5, 2025
The Hoyas return to action against Seton Hall on Saturday, Dec. 8, at noon at Capital One Arena. Hoya Saxa.