No. 16 Georgetown (15-5, 3-3 Big East) used defensive intensity and an effective half-court set to shake off Villanova (8-11, 0-6 Big East), 60-44, on Saturday afternoon.

After being shut out for 3:51 seconds in the second half, the Hoyas found their lead whittled to just six with 6:13 remaining but then exploded on a 14-4 run to close the game. Senior guard Monica McNutt, who was honored before tip-off for reaching the 1,000 career points milestone, helped the Blue and Gray break away with two pivotal three-pointers, while junior forward Tia Magee scored Georgetown’s final six points of the game.

“I thought we really picked up our intensity defensively,” Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said of the decisive scoring run. “We switched the defense, putting a little bit more pressure on them in the back court, which allowed them to have to take quicker shots in the half-court.”

“Shooters are going to shoot,” McNutt said. “My teammates found me in open spots and I just let it rip. They believe in me.”

On a night which encouraged academic success — students in eighth grade and under received free admission by showing a report card with an A on it — the Wildcats were subjected to a defensive schooling from the Hoyas. Georgetown’s defensive tenacity proved to be the decisive factor in a slow paced game, as Villanova’s leading scorer, sophomore forward Laura Sweeney, was held to just four points in the second half after scoring nine in the first stanza.

“We knew we had to sit down and play defense. We had a few times that we slipped up, a couple of defensive mistakes, but I thought that effort was really good,” Williams-Flournoy said. “We told them that we would have defensive slip-ups. We continue with the effort because we’re going to have more stops than we have slip-ups.”

“We just played good defense and were real aggressive,” sophomore guard Sugar Rodgers said. “We just ran our sets, and we didn’t turn the ball over as much.”

After a tough road loss to Notre Dame earlier in the week in which Georgetown conceded an uncharacteristic 80 points, the hungry hosts responded immediately with defensive toughness against a tricky Villanova team. The Hoyas jumped out to a 14-4 lead, holding the visitors scoreless for 4:26 during an early stretch of the first half and limited them to just six points in the opening 10 minutes.

“I think we exceeded expectations today. Villanova’s sometimes a trap game; they run their offense very well, and our defense was excellent,” McNutt said. “Notre Dame definitely left a bad taste in our mouth, so we understand our defense is pivotal. Our coach continues to remind us that that’s how we were so successful last year, so we’ve got to get back to that. We’re really focusing on defense.”

Employing an interesting strategy, the Wildcats all but eliminated the transition game on either side of the ball, hustling back on defense and slowing down to establish their own half-court offense. The Hoyas managed only one fast-break basket in the game — a first-half three-pointer — while the Wildcats were scoreless in transition.

The Hoyas’ head coach was happy with her team’s ability to adapt to the unusual situation and especially pleased with the inside presence of junior forward Tia Magee throughout the afternoon.

“We had to do better in our offensive set today in the half court, which I thought we did. I thought we hit some great shots, and I thought we went inside. … Tia Magee was able to score inside, as well as take the ball to the basket and [she] fueled our offense,” Williams-Flournoy said. “We do half-court offense every day. Getting it inside was a focus coming into the game.”

With virtually no opportunity for quick transition baskets, the difference came in the form of second chance points for the Hoyas, who outscored the Wildcats, 16-3, when given an extra opportunity.

“We told them we had to get to the offensive glass. I thought that was one area we could really benefit from, and that we were a little bit more aggressive and athletic,” Williams-Flournoy said.

The Hoyas were led by 20 points from Rodgers, who contributed five points to the game-clinching run. Magee recorded a season-high 18 points, and McNutt finished with eight points on the night. Seven Hoyas scored on the afternoon, while 12 saw playing time.

The Hoyas now prepare for Tuesday night’s matchup against West Virginia. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at McDonough Arena.