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UConn Men's Basketball Reignites an Old Rivalry with the Georgetown Hoyas

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Basketball

The UConn men's basketball team completes the cycle of BIG EAST opponents when it travels to Washington D.C. to take on Georgetown at Georgetown's on-campus McDonough Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 23. The game is set to tipoff at 9 p.m., televised on FS1.

The Huskies (10-6 overall, 7-6 BIG EAST) and Hoyas have a long history that began in 1958. Both programs were charter members of the BIG EAST Conference when it began in 1979-80 and they met 58 times as BIG EAST rivals, with Georgetown holding a 32-26 advantage. They met twice after the BIG EAST breakup and split a home-and-home series, UConn winning in January, 2016, and Georgetown getting even in January, 2017.

UConn, starting the last four games of the regular season, will be trying to bounce back from a loss at Villanova on Saturday. Leading scorer sophomore James Bouknight (20.3) is back in the fold, while juniors Tyrese Martin (12.3) and R.J. Cole (12.1) also averaging in double figures. Martin leads the team in rebounding (7.6) and Cole hands out the most assists (4.1).

In conference games, the Huskies have a 3.3 ppg edge over opponents and a 2.4 rpg edge on the boards.

If UConn is to make a serious run at an NCAA Tournament berth, it will clearly have to deal with Georgetown, which the Huskies will face twice in the last two weeks of the regular season.

The Hoyas (7-10, 5-7) had a difficult start to the season, dealing mainly with COVID-19 issues, but they have steadily improved and are currently riding a modest two-game winning streak, including a win over Seton Hall on Saturday.

Georgetown is led by senior guard Jahvon Blair (16.2), senior forward Jamorko Pickett (12.7), and sophomore center Qudus Wahab (11.7). Picket (8.4) and Wahab (8.1) are the top rebounders and Blair leds the team in assists (4.5). The remaining two starters are usually grad student forward Chudier Bile (9.6 ppg) and freshman guard Dante Harris.

The game against UConn will be the fourth straight home game for Georgetown. The Hoyas are 6-5 at McDonough Arena this season.

UConn is 4-3 on the road in 2020-21, with two more road games remaining in the season. The Huskies' last season with a .500 or better road record was 2015-16.