Georgetown tops DePaul to avenge humiliating defeat
Malik Mack delivered 16 points and seven assists to lead a balanced attack for Georgetown in a 70-61 Big East victory over DePaul on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Vincent Iwuchukwu and Julius Halaifonua contributed 11 points each, making a combined 9 of 10 shots from the floor as the Hoyas (11-10, 3-7) won their second in a row on the heels of six straight losses.
Caleb Williams added 10 points and Kayvaun Mulready scored all eight of his points in the second half as Georgetown avenged a loss three weeks ago at DePaul.
The Hoyas also ended their frustrating four-game skid against the Blue Demons in which none of the losses were by more than six points.
Brandon Maclin scored a season-high 19 points off the bench, including 16 in the second half, to pace DePaul (12-9, 4-6), which has followed each of its last three wins with a loss.
Layden Blocker and RJ Smith added 13 points each for the Blue Demons.
Georgetown never trailed in the first half behind a smoothly functioning offense which converted on 57.7% of its shots and committed just three turnovers.
It was a vastly different period from when the teams last met. In the second half of the Hoyas 56-50 loss on Jan. 6, they made just 1 of 23 shots in a dismal 56-50 defeat.
In the first 7 minutes, six different Georgetown players scored from the floor as the Hoyas raced to a 14-7 advantage on Wednesday.
DePaul forged its only tie of the first half, 16-16, when Maclin scored a driving layup to complete a 9-2 run with 7:53 left before the half.
Georgetown closed the half the way it started it as six different players scored field goals in a span of 7 minutes as the Hoyas rolled to a 34-24 lead at the break.
DePaul scored the first eight points of the second half as Blocker and Smith drained 3-pointers and the Blue Demons whittled the deficit to 34-32. But that's as close as they would come.
Georgetown resumed control as Williams and Mulready made 3-pointers as the Hoyas pushed their lead back into double digits at 46-36.
In the final 5 minutes, Mulready made a backcourt steal and a slam and added a 3-pointer as the Hoyas held off a late Blue Demons surge.