Xavier @ Georgetown preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 9, 2019 ) Georgetown 75, Xavier 81

Still in search of its first winning streak in the Big East, Georgetown will have a good chance to get it Thursday against visiting Xavier. The Hoyas rode freshmen Mac McClung, James Akinjo and Josh LeBlanc to a critical win at St. John's, but it will all be for naught if they cannot thwart the struggling Musketeers.

As they have in many games this season, the Hoyas had every opportunity to fold down the stretch against St. John's, but their freshmen would not allow it as they accounted for the final 10 points in an 89-78 victory. McClung shined the brightest of the trio, hitting for 25 points - his most in a Big East contest - one game after struggling in a bad home loss to Creighton. "We're learning. We've got some good leaders, but we're learning and trying to take everything in," McClung told the media. "Having a coach (Patrick Ewing) that has your back is the biggest thing in my opinion." The Musketeers won the first meeting with the Hoyas 81-75 on Jan. 9 behind a double-double from Zach Hankins and followed it up with another home win against Butler before dropping three straight games, the latest 87-82 to No. 9 Marquette on Saturday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

ABOUT XAVIER (11-10, 3-5 Big East): Hankins hasn't been able to match or exceed his 23-point, 10-rebound effort he enjoyed in the first meeting against Georgetown, but the senior from Charlevoix, Mich., is still on pace to break the Big East and Xavier records for field goal percentage in a season. The 6-11 forward sits at 71.5 percent, which would easily top the school standard of 65.4 percent set by Xavier Hall of Famer Brian Grant in 1992-93. The Big East mark of 68.3 percent belongs to David Padgett, who did it for Louisville in 2007-08.

ABOUT GEORGETOWN (13-7, 3-4): Meaningful contributions have been few and far between for Jamorko Pickett, who after a solid freshman season has been relegated to a lesser role behind this season's newcomers. The 6-8 guard from Washington, D.C., supplied nine points and seven rebounds to the win over St. John's, including a big 3-pointer that kick started a 10-0 run for the Hoyas early in the second half. LeBlanc also scored his most points in a Big East game with 15 against the Red Storm and the Baton Rouge, La., native had two dunks and made a pair of free throws as the Hoyas pulled away down the stretch.

TIP-INS

1. Paul Scruggs, who leads the Musketeers in scoring at 13.3 points per game, has made 11-of-20 from 3-point land over the last four games to climb to fourth in the Big East (46.4 percent).

2. Xavier has dominated the series with the Hoyas with 14 wins in 18 meetings, including six straight and 10 of 12 as Big East foes.

3. A loss would add peril to Xavier's streak of 36 straight seasons with a .500 or better record in conference play, a mark that is five seasons longer than any other Division I program.

PREDICTION: Xavier 78, Georgetown 73