PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Coming into their matchup against Rutgers, the slumping Hoyas needed a win at all costs, and thanks to the return of the real Austin Freeman, that is what they got.

As a team, the Hoyas got back on track to the tune of 11-for-22 from beyond the arc, including 8-of-12 in the second half, and the resurgent senior guard led the way with 25 points and a career-high nine rebounds as Georgetown (13-5, 2-4 Big East) snapped its three-game losing streak with a 74-65 victory over the Scarlet Knights (10-7, 1-4 Big East) on Saturday at the RAC.

Freeman also had four assists, went 4-for-6 from three and connected on all nine of his free-throw attempts. With the Hoyas’ lead cut from 16 to four with 9:59 to go in the game, he made a crucial three-pointer to stop a 15-3 Rutgers run and subdue the crowd after James Beatty’s three-pointer made it a 47-43 game.

“It’s really good to have these two guys back,” Head Coach John Thompson III said sitting between Freeman and senior guard Chris Wright. “If we could have won and they’d still be in a shooting slump, I would take that, but we need these guys. The way this team is put together, Chris, Austin and [junior guard] Jason [Clark] are going to have to play well for us.”

Entering the game a meager 3 for his last 23 from three-point range, Wright joined Freeman in breaking out of a prolonged shooting slump, knocking down his first two trifectas and shaking off four early turnovers on his way to 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Clark still couldn’t rediscover his outside touch (1-for-6 from beyond the arc) but he was effective getting into the paint and added 13 points.

“If you focus on other things, a lot of times your shot will fall in place,” Thompson said. “I think we were extremely aggressive today and the ball went in the basket.”

A key to the victory was Georgetown’s ability to get Freeman touches at spots all over the floor, something the Hoyas had occasionally gotten away from during their 1-4 start in the Big East. In addition to finding his jump shot, he was able to create inside the three-point arc for himself and for his teammates.

“We threw it down to him in the post in different situations,” Thompson said. “I’m not sure how many times he scored out of the post, I think there were a few, but he got fouled down there and also he draws so much attention that he was able to get it out to open shooters.”

Although they never led, the Scarlet Knights were able to hang around in large part because of the 34 points they scored in the paint. Removed from the starting lineup after some sub-par performances, forward Gilvydas Biruta came off the bench for 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and six rebounds. The Hoyas allowed Biruta to make catches deep in the paint and he was able to score from close range all afternoon.

“They’re a well-coached team, they have good players,” Thompson said. “You have to decide what you’re going to try to take away and what you’re going to give certain teams.”

In the paint on the Hoyas’ end, freshman forward Nate Lubick continued to see significant minutes, logging more playing time than sophomore forward Hollis Thompson and junior center Henry Sims. Georgetown was outrebounded 31-30 and 16-12 on the offensive glass, another factor that allowed Rutgers to stay in the game, but in the end the Hoyas’ star guards were enough to get them back in the win column for the first time since New Year’s Day.

“I don’t think [my] confidence lacked or [Freeman’s] confidence lacked or [Clark’s] confidence was lacking,” Wright said. “We just weren’t putting the ball in the basket, and it happens. Momentum-wise I think it was good for us to get a win and to be able to feel good about ourselves going into a game not feeling like, ‘Dang, we got another loss.'”

The Hoyas will be back in New Jersey on Tuesday against Seton Hall, which has its standout senior Jeremy Hazell back from injury, at the Prudential Center in Newark. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.