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Villanova aims to stop slide vs. reeling Georgetown

Jan 7, 2023; Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA; Villanova Wildcats forward Cam Whitmore (22) controls the ball against Xavier Musketeers forward Zach Freemantle (32) in the second half at William B. Finneran Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels completed their eligibility after Villanova advanced to the Final Four last season.

Justin Moore has been out all season with an Achilles injury and Jordan Longino recently joined him with a left leg issue.

The roster depletion has impacted the Wildcats (8-10, 2-5 Big East) in a variety of ways, especially with their depth. They’ll try to avoid a four-game losing streak when they host Georgetown on Monday afternoon.

Villanova was competitive Friday but ultimately fell 79-71 to Butler in Indianapolis.

“At this level, there are no halftime speeches that are going to motivate a group of guys,” said first-year head coach Kyle Neptune, who took over for Hall of Famer Jay Wright this season.

“We had some fire to start the half and I thought we were in a good spot. Unfortunately, we couldn’t sustain it.”

Eric Dixon had 22 points and Caleb Daniels added 21 to pace Villanova.

Georgetown, meanwhile, is looking to snap a maddening eight-game losing streak.

The Hoyas (5-13, 0-7) last won on Dec. 7, a 75-68 victory over Siena.

In their most recent game, Georgetown fell 66-51 to Seton Hall on Tuesday. It was the 27th straight Big East regular-season loss for the Hoyas, extending a conference record.

No Georgetown player was able to reach double figures in scoring though Qudus Wahab grabbed 10 rebounds.

The result was another setback in what looks like a lost season.

“I’m hanging in there. That’s all we can do,” Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing said. “I’m taking the hit. Myself and my staff, we got to take the hit. We got to come up with a much better defensive plan. It is what it is. We have to do better, and then they (the players) have to do better.”

Second-leading scorer Brandon Murray has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury. It’s unclear if he’ll be available to face Villanova.

–Field Level Media

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