Hoyas report

Yesterday at Wachovia Center in Philadelphia

SEEN AND HEARD

The late-season revolution continues for the Hoyas, who have won nine straight Big East games, matching the league streak established by the NCAA title team of 1983-84. With a win over Cincinnati on Wednesday, Georgetown can match the Big East streak of Reggie and the Miracles (1986-87). And victories over the Bearcats and Saturday at home over Pittsburgh would match the program-record, 11-game Big East streak set by the 1984-85 team. Two of those teams advanced to the NCAA finals (1984 and 1985) and the other reached the regional finals (1987).

• Providing some clarification to his mysterious withdrawal from school just after New Year’s Day, former Georgetown swingman Marc Egerson celebrated the birth of his first child, a son, on Feb. 11.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Georgetown sophomore guard Jessie Sapp heaved home a 60-footer as time expired in the first half to cut the Villanova lead to 29-27.

“The irony in that is I fussed at him the other day after practice for practicing his halfcourt shots,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. “I said, ‘Hey, buddy, why don’t you work on your normal shots that you get every day. You’re not going to get that shot.’ So, I guess I don’t know everything.”

According to Sapp, he and teammate Jeff Green take five shots from halfcourt after every practice.

“Yeah, Jeff shouts, ‘Gilbert Arenas’ and fires away,” Sapp said of the ritual. “Jeff always makes at least two, nothing but net. It’s unbelievable. I’m usually good for at least one, but Jeff is the master.”

— Barker Davis