Georgetown 64, Rutgers 51
WASHINGTON -- Otto Porter scored 16 of his 28 points in the second half as No. 7 Georgetown matched a program record with its 11th straight Big East win by defeating Rutgers 64-51 on Saturday night.
Porter made 15 of 18 free throws, setting career highs in both categories, and grabbed eight rebounds. The Big East-leading Hoyas (23-4, 13-3) made more free throws than the Scarlett Knights attempted, finishing 30 of 42.
Leading 29-28 at halftime, the Hoyas allowed the Scarlet Knights to score the first five points after halftime before taking the lead for good with seven straight points, capped by Porter's 3-point play.
After Rutgers pulled closer at 49-45 with 8:08 remaining, Porter's two made free throws started a decisive 15-4 spurt.
Wally Judge, the only other player in the game besides Porter to reach double figures, led the Scarlet Knights (13-14, 4-12) with 11 points. Rutgers has lost four straight and 10 of 11.
The efficient Porter made half of his 12 shots from the field and two 3-point tries. In his last three games, the National Player of the Year candidate is averaging 27.6 points while shooting 58.1 percent from the field (25 of 43) and 56.2 (9 of 16) from beyond the 3-point arc.
Rutgers missed nine of 15 free throws.
Georgetown swept the two-game season series from Rutgers and has won 12 of 13 overall.
Trailing 13-6 early in the first half, the Hoyas pulled ahead briefly with an 8-0 run started by a Porter jumper. After the lead changed hands four times, Georgetown tacked on eight straight points for a 26-19 lead with Porter scoring five of his 12 first-half points. Rutgers countered with a late push as Myles Mack sank two 3-pointers in the final two minutes and the Scarlet Knights entered halftime trailing 29-28.
The Hoyas feasted at the free-throw line in the half, making 14 of 19. Georgetown finished 14 of 19 overall in Wednesday's 79-78 double-overtime win over Connecticut.
NOTES: Porter entered the weekend leading the Big East in 3-point field-goal percentage (46.8) and ranks among the Top 10 in scoring, rebounding, steals and field-goal percentage. The sophomore scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half of Georgetown's 69-63 victory at Rutgers on Feb. 9. ... The Scarlet Knights played their third game without leading scorer Eli Carter. The sophomore guard is out for the season after suffering a fractured fibula in his right leg on Feb. 16 against DePaul. ... Georgetown's final road game of the regular season comes Wednesday at Villanova. Rutgers hosts No. 22 Marquette on Tuesday. ... Which Big East team has made the most NCAA Tournament appearances? 1) Villanova (32); 2) Georgetown (28); 3) St. John's (28); 4) Pittsburgh (23).
