Sophomore guard Malik Mack shone as the Georgetown University men’s basketball team held off the Xavier University Musketeers 69-63 Jan. 3 to remain undefeated in conference play. With the win, the Hoyas have posted three Big East wins in a season for the first time since 2021 in just as many conference games.

Heading into their first game of the new year, Georgetown (12-2, 3-0 Big East), looked to extend their four-game winning streak and their best start to Big East play since the 2011-12 season. The matchup between the Hoyas and Musketeers (9-6, 1-3 Big East) was considered fairly even, with Georgetown less than two-point favorites, and a test of the Hoyas’ fortitude as they begin a grueling January Big East schedule. 

Junior guard Jayden Epps returned to action off the bench after missing the previous game. His return was short-lived, however, as Epps was seen limping up and down the court before being substituted off for the remainder of the game after just a few minutes of action.

After over two minutes of scoreless play to begin the game, a jumper by graduate guard Micah Peavy kickstarted the Hoyas into action with a 10-2 run to open the game and force a Xavier timeout. The Hoyas kept the Musketeers at bay with lockdown defense, going up by as many as 13 points around the 9:00 mark.

But Xavier stayed in the game, frustrating the Georgetown squad by drawing fouls and answering with a   7-0 run to cut the deficit to 20-15 before guard Marcus Foster slammed home a dunk. Georgetown first-year center Thomas Sorber answered with a clean spin-and-sky hook move, but the Hoyas soon found themselves down on their luck amidst a 1-for-7 scoring drought. The Musketeers took advantage of the Hoyas’ poor form, cutting their lead to within a possession before a pair of Peavy jumpers got Georgetown back on track and sent the teams into the locker room with the Hoyas up 30-24.

Mack came alive for the Hoyas in the second half, drilling home Georgetown’s first 3-pointer of the game at the 17:31 mark before rattling off two free throws and another 3-pointer to put Georgetown up 42-32 and get the crowd at Capital One Arena excited. Georgetown kept the pace high and continued to score, but Xavier fought to stay in the game, answering Georgetown buckets with their own scores to stay within a few possessions of the Hoyas. 

Though sophomore forward Jordan Burks fouled out with 10 minutes left to play after just 13 minutes of playing time, Mack continued to take over the game with nine straight points, punctuated by a diving layup to put the Hoyas up 55-47. After trading buckets with Georgetown for much of the half, Xavier broke out into an 8-0 run to cut Georgetown’s lead to just one point with 4:21 left on the clock. But it was Mack again who answered, coming up with a big block to cut the Musketeers’ momentum. 

A head collision between Sorber and Xavier guard Ryan Conwell saw both players walk away unscathed but sent Conwell to the bench with his fifth foul. Xavier again pulled within one with 2:52 left to play off a layup by guard Dailyn Swain, who subsequently missed the game-tying free throw. Georgetown answered with a baseline layup from Peavy and a layup from Sorber to make it 64-59 with less than two minutes to play, and maintained their composure while navigating foul trouble to sink free throws and hold off Xavier for the 69-63 win.

For the Hoyas, the game was all about Malik Mack, who tallied a game-leading and season-high 26 points, with 20 coming in the second half alone. Mack also had 3 assists and a block. Micah Peavy stood out as well, with 15 points and 10 rebounds, totaling his first double-double for Georgetown. The Hoyas controlled the pace and played a strong defensive game, stifling a normally high-scoring Xavier offense and forcing 11 turnovers, which the Hoyas converted into 14 points. Georgetown’s 3-point shooting, however, left something to be desired, with the Hoyas only converting 22.2% of their 3-point shots.

Mack said he worked throughout the game to create opportunities to make plays and get open on shots he was confident about.

“I just played through the offense, took opportunities to make a play, and I felt like I was open on certain shots that I knew I could make because that’s what I have been working on,” Mack said to Georgetown Athletics. “I felt like I did a really good job reading the defense, having a feel for the game and knowing where I could get my shots off or where I could find my teammates.” 

Poor shooting marred the Musketeers’ game,  with Xavier only making 35.1% of their field goals and converting an even worse 26.3% of their 3-pointers. The return of star forward Zach Freemantle was a bright spot, however, as he tallied 16 points and 7 rebounds after missing the previous three games with a lower-body injury.

Off the court, both Georgetown Head Coach Ed Cooley and Xavier Head Coach Sean Miller donned colorful sweaters and pins in honor of late St. John’s University coach Lou Carnesecca, to whom the Big East is paying tribute on what would have been the week of his 100th birthday.

The young Georgetown squad has surely put the Big East on notice with their sudden upswing after a disappointing past few seasons. With matchups against three NCAA tournament-caliber teams in Marquette University, University of Connecticut (UConn) and St. John’s coming up, the Hoyas will be looking to test their mettle and prove they are the real deal.Georgetown travels to Milwaukee next, where they will face off against the No. 8 ranked Marquette Golden Eagles (13-2, 4-0 Big East) Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. EST at Fiserv Forum and on CBS Sports Network.