In some ways, the game was a microcosm of the season. Georgetown needed to heighten its intensity and improve its execution down the stretch, and the Hoyas couldn’t do it.

During the final eight minutes against Marquette, Georgetown showed its talent, but also the many reasons why, after this loss, its 11th of the season, the Hoyas will likely miss the NCAA tournament.

Georgetown battled the No. 10 Golden Eagles for over 30 minutes, but plagued by a team-wide inability to finish at the rim, too many defensive lapses, and a disappearing act by leading scorer DaJuan Summers, the Hoyas lost what many considered a must-win game against the Golden Eagles, 78-72.

For the fourth time in six games, Georgetown had a chance to seize control of the game down the stretch, but failed.

“In many ways it’s experience,” Head Coach John Thompson III said. “They, coming down the stretch.they executed well down the stretch of the game and we had ? we had some chances, we definitely had some chances, had a few bad bounces, but it comes to experience.”

The Hoyas fall to 14-11 overall and 5-9 in the Big East, while Marquette improves to 23-4 and 12-2.

Leading 59-58 with eight minutes remaining, Georgetown allowed senior guard Jerel McNeal to get open for a huge go-ahead three. On the Hoyas’ next trip down, Summers drove to the bucket with the shot clock under 10 and charged wildly into the Marquette defender.

Then, McNeal made a strong move to the hoop to give the Golden Eagles two more. After freshman guard Jason Clark pulled the Hoyas within two, Summers committed his fourth foul, sending Jimmy Butler to the line, where he made both his free throws with 6:07 left.

The ball went back to Summers on Georgetown’s next stand, and this time the preseason all-Big East selection lost the ball going up to shoot. Senior guard Dominic James missed a three at the other end, but the Golden Eagles grabbed one of their 12 offensive rebounds and Butler ended up scoring to put Marquette ahead 67-61 with 5:20 left.

Fast forward three minutes, with Georgetown trailing by four, Monroe posted up on the right block, found an open Chris Wright on the left block, and he found Summers cutting baseline. Summers could not control the pass and lost the ball to the Marquette defender, then committed his fifth foul on the loose ball.

The Hoyas got the ball back after a Dominic James missed free throw, but Wright could not finish in traffic with 2:32 left. Georgetown had another chance to pull within two, but Monroe missed a five footer, Marquette rebounded, and Butler capitalized at the other end to make the score 73-67. The Hoyas would get no closer.

Until his miss with 1:27 left, Monroe, who scored four points in the first 1:30 of the second half, had not attempted a shot in 17 minutes.

“They did a good job of pressuring and pushing Greg off the block,” Thompson said. “They did a very good job of making it difficult to get it to him. We tried to bring him in high and then rolling him down, starting in the high post and instead of just going right to the block, bringing him high and then rolling him back down low.”

Asked if he was surprised that Georgetown did not get the ball to Monroe more,

Golden Eagles Head Coach Buzz Williams dodged the question, but did lather the praise onto the Hoyas’ young center.

“I think he’s the best freshman post player that I’ve ever seen in my career,” he said. “His skill set is such that in their distinct style of play ? his skills are accented even better because of how they play. . He’s really difficult for us to guard.”

Summers finished with 12 points and four rebounds but he had five turnovers, five fouls and sat on the bench for the final 2:47.

For the third-straight game, Wright led Georgetown with 17 points. Fellow sophomore guard Austin Freeman added 16 and Monroe chipped in 13 and eight rebounds.

eanwhile, Marquette was buoyed by senior guard Wesley Matthews, who scored 18 of his 23 points in the first half, and McNeal, who scored 22. Junior forward Lazar Hayward turned in 17 points and 11 boards.

Both teams got off to a fast start. Marquette shot 60 percent in the first half, while the Hoyas hit at 53.1 percent. Georgetown made seven first-half threes and scored 12 points on offensive boards before the break, at which point the two teams were tied at 44.

“I thought in the first half we were getting whipped on the offensive glass,” Williams said. “They had six offensive rebounds that led to 12 points, they also had seven threes, so they had 33 of their 42 points on offensive rebounds and threes. We weren’t very aggressive defensively, and then in the second half, I thought the key to the game was they only got one three, which was the last three of the game, shot, with three seconds left, and we only allowed two offensive rebounds.”

To make the NCAA tournament, Georgetown now probably must win out in the regular season or make a run to the finals of the Big East tournament. For Thompson, whose teams have been No. 2 seeds each of the past two seasons, not even being on the bubble is largely unfamiliar territory.

He was asked after the game if this was his toughest season leading the Blue and Gray.

“Period. Not just at Georgetown. Yes, but we’ll get through this,” he said. “We will get through this. Yeah it’s trying, but we’ll go to work tonight, these guys will come to work tomorrow.”

The Hoyas return to action Monday night against Louisville. If this was nearly a must-win game, there is no wiggle room in that one. Georgetown cannot afford another loss.

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