While the rest of the Hilltop was eating Christmas pudding, lounging around with high school friends and celebrating the return of “American Gladiators,” Georgetown basketball went to work, playing six games over the break, including its first two games against Big East opponents. Doubts were raised about the Hoyas’ ability to rebound in several games, but Georgetown played a top-ranked team for most of the break. Dec. 15 – Georgetown 110, Radford 51 In their annual return to the tiny yet thundering on-campus gym on Dec. 15, the Hoyas rolled over the visiting Highlanders, accruing an impressive point tally to bring the Hilltop house down during finals. Georgetown hit the century mark on a three-pointer from bench-player freshman Omar Wattad and finished with the team’s highest point tally under fourth year Head Coach John Thompson III. The game wasn’t without drama, however, as the match-up between the teams became very physical. Two double technical fouls were assessed throughout the game, and officials had to break up a few disputes. Dec. 22 – Memphis 85, Georgetown 71 The Hoyas came into their marquee matchup of the non-conference season with a perfect record but could not come away with the win in Tennessee. The Tigers took advantage of a few slip-ups in Georgetown’s play to grab a lead at the half, one they would not relinquish. The first half of basketball was almost flawless, as it was clear that two of the nation’s top teams were battling on the court. But Memphis shut down senior center Roy Hibbert and the Hoyas’ post game in the second half to secure victory. Freshman guard Austin Freeman turned out a stellar performance with 14 points, leading the Hoyas in scoring for his third straight game. With the loss, the Hoyas dropped to eighth in the national rankings. Dec. 29 – Georgetown 78, American 51 Georgetown returned to D.C. and rebounded from its loss at Memphis to crush the cross-town Eagles. American got off to a fast start but was quickly silenced by the Hoyas en route to a definitive victory behind leading scorer sophomore guard DaJuan Summers. Summers’ 16 points joined him with Hibbert to lead the team in scoring for the year. Freshman guard Chris Wright also had an impressive game, posting 13 points and a team-high four assists and two steals. Georgetown’s rebounding troubles continued, however, as it only managed to out-rebound the shorter American 28-26, a problem that would come back to haunt the Hoyas in their next few contests. Dec 31. – Georgetown 82, Fordham 55 It was a New Year’s Eve celebration for senior guard Jonathan Wallace as he hit two milestones in Georgetown’s decisive victory over the visiting Rams in its last pre-Big East match-up of the season. Wallace posted his 1,000th career point and also became the Hoyas’ all-time leader in three-pointers. He wasn’t the only one dropping treys, as Hibbert also hit his own personal record by making his first-three pointer of his four-year career. Freeman joined the starting lineup for the first time this season, replacing senior forward Patrick Ewing Jr., who had been struggling in his production at times to this point in the season. Jan. 5 – Rutgers 46, Georgetown 58 Georgetown hit the road and visited the Scarlet Knights for its Big East opener, a sloppy affair that raised more concerns than confidence about the upcoming league season. But with Big East favorites dropping like flies in the first few in-conference games, a win is a win, and Thompson was happy with the final result. What disappointed Thompson, however, was the Hoyas’ defense and rebounding. Rutgers out-rebounded Georgetown a stunning 43-26, including a 22-4 edge on the offensive glass. Hibbert was not much help in the paint, as he notched just six points and four rebounds to go with four fouls and three turnovers. The Hoyas offensive effort was not much better, and they showcased a weak appearance at the charity stripe once again (11-for-23). Luckily for Georgetown, Rutgers was worse on both ends of the court, allowing the Hoyas to scrape out their first Big East win. Freeman led the Hoyas in scoring again with 13 points, while his fellow rookie Wright sat on the bench in a suit after rolling his ankle in practice.