NEW YORK — Julius Halaifonua had 21 points and 10 rebounds in No. 11 seed Georgetown’s 78-64 win over third-seeded Villanova on Thursday night in the Big East Conference Tournament.
Georgetown (16-17) plays No. 6 and second-seeded UConn in the semifinals — which feature four of the league’s seven original members for the first time since 1994 — Friday.
The Hoyas have won three straight following a seven-game losing streak.
Kayvaun Mulready scored 14 points while going 5 of 5 (3 for 3 from 3-point range), and added eight rebounds for the Hoyas. Jeremiah Williams finished 6 of 14 from the field to finish with 14 points.
Duke Brennan finished with 14 points, six rebounds and two steals for the Wildcats (24-8). Villanova also got 13 points from Tyler Perkins. Bryce Lindsay finished with 11 points and two steals.
Georgetown took the lead for good with 52 seconds left in the first half. The score was 35-31 at halftime, with Halaifonua racking up 14 points. Georgetown pulled away with a 10-2 run in the second half to extend a two-point lead to 10 points. The Hoyas outscored Villanova by 10 points in the final half, as Williams led the way with a team-high 12 second-half points.
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