For the second week in a row, Georgetown got a measure of revenge against a conference rival that had haunted it in years past. Freshman center Roy Hibbert’s power dunk as time expired gave the Hoyas a thrilling 55-54 victory over the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame Sunday before a crowd of 9,305 at MCI Center.

“We tell the guys to just get it and go,” Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson III said. “I don’t think [Hibbert] has ever moved that fast in his life.”

Everything up to that point seemed to be setting up for another heartbreaking loss against the Irish, who beat the Hoyas in a quadruple-overtime classic at MCI Center in 2002 and again in double overtime in South Bend, Ind., in 2003.

The Hoyas clung to a small lead through most of the second half and led by five after a jumper by junior guard Ashanti Cook with 3:23 to play. That bucket though would be the last Georgetown would get until Hibbert’s dunk.

The Fighting Irish gave the Hoyas a chance to really take control of the game after that. Notre Dame missed two shots in a row, and at the free-throw line with just under two minutes to go, Hibbert stole the ball from senior guard Chris Thomas, who had one of the poorer games of his career on Sunday before a legion of NBA scouts.

Georgetown was not able to seize the opportunity. Cook missed a three, and Thomas drilled a three from the corner to put the Irish within two points with just over a minute left in the game. Bowman was whistled for traveling at the other end to set up the dramatic finish.

Off a timeout, Irish sophomore guard Colin Falls came off a double screen on the top right side of the court just beyond the three-point arc. He was closely defended by Georgetown freshman guard Jonathan Wallace, but Falls was able to lean in and nail the three with six seconds to go to give Notre Dame its first lead of the second half at 54-53.

“I can’t believe it went in because they [Georgetown] got a little piece of it,” Notre Dame Head Coach ike Brey said.

With the Hoyas poised to continue the plague of recent years with a brutal loss, Wallace inbounded the ball to Cook, who started flying up the court. Cook looked like he was going to shoot the ball as he moved inside the three-point line. At the last possible moment though, he found Hibbert right under the basket. The big freshman went up strong for the dunk.

“I think it was Cook who really made the play,” Brey said. “He had too much of a straight line. We needed to angle him a bit.”

“I saw Ashanti pushing the ball, and I ran as fast as I could,” Hibbert said. “I think I made eye contact with Ashanti, but I really can’t remember it because it went so fast.”

But a win over Notre Dame at home, Georgetown’s first since 1998, wasn’t going to come that easy. As the players erupted and the students stormed the court, the referees tried to regain control so they could review the dunk to see if Hibbert had put it in before time expired.

“I thought it was good, and then I got a little nervous when they started looking at it,” Thompson said.

After several excruciatingly tense minutes, Hoya fans sitting behind a television monitor began to indicate that Hibbert had in fact dunked the ball in time. The refs confirmed the fans’ initial reaction a minute later, and for the second time in a matter of moments, Georgetown celebrated a huge Big East victory over Notre Dame.

The Hoyas improved to 4-2 in the conference and 12-5 overall. The Fighting Irish fell to 4-2 in the Big East and 12-4 overall. The two teams will meet again in South Bend on Feb. 16.

“Who knows about this league. It’s crazy to predict it,” Brey said. “We had a good run in this building until today. I would expect the same close game in South Bend in a few weeks.”

In the Hoyas’ six conference games to date, four have come down to the final minute or overtime. Close games are nothing new for the Hoyas. The difference in 2004-05 is that they are 3-1 in those games. With a third of the conference schedule behind it, Georgetown finds itself still very much in the running for an NCAA Tournament berth.

“It’s definitely a better feeling,” Bowman said. “You’re able to hold your head up with a lot more confidence. Everyone’s starting to take notice of how much better we are this year.”

Georgetown faces St. John’s tonight at 7:30 p.m. at MCI Center.