ANAHEIM, Calif. | Julian Vaughn scored a career-high 18 points, and No. 15 Georgetown pulled away in the second half for its second victory over a ranked opponent in five days, beating No. 17 Washington 74-66 on Saturday in the Wooden Classic.
Greg Monroe had 15 points and seven rebounds for the Hoyas (8-0), who scored 12 straight points after halftime during a 21-2 run. The surge abruptly blew open a previously tight game in the annual doubleheader held to honor John Wooden, UCLA’s famed 99-year-old coach.
Isaiah Thomas scored 15 of his 21 points after halftime for the Huskies (6-2) while leading a late 15-3 run, but Washington couldn’t close a 20-point deficit.
Quincy Pondexter, the only senior on either roster, scored 23 points for the Huskies, who haven’t beaten a Big East team in 20 years.
After beating No. 22 Butler in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, the Hoyas crossed the country to participate in a doubleheader at a hockey rink. Coach John Thompson III said he made the deliberately tough schedule to steel his team for the rigors of Big East play.
The game appeared to be a breakout moment for Vaughn, a junior who transferred from Florida State. He did little for the Hoyas last season, and he’s the only starter averaging fewer than 12 points per game this season. But if he plays at this impressive level — with 7-for-9 shooting and seven rebounds — alongside Monroe during the Big East schedule, the young Hoyas will be a nightmare matchup.
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