On Saturday Villanova will look to end the regular season on a high note when it hosts Georgetown.

The Hoyas have stumbled to a 5-12 mark in the Big East but have clinched a winning record in the regular season as they enter Saturday at 15-13.

After two impressive wins over Seton Hall and Butler in mid-February, Georgetown has lost three straight.

Nova Nation will be hoping for a repeat of the first meeting between the teams, when ‘Nova shot 60% from the floor and 52% from three. Six Wildcats scored in double figures, and all five starters plus sixth man Donte DiVincenzo shot better than 50%. After the rough offensive outing on Wednesday against Seton Hall, a repeat of the first Georgetown performance would be more than welcomed.

The ‘Cats were very good defensively in the first Georgetown game as well, as only one Hoya reached double figures and the team shot just 39% from the field and 27% from three. Georgetown committed 17 turnovers that turned into 32 Villanova points.

A big part of that defensive effort was limiting the duo of Jessie Govan and Marcus Derrickson. The pair averages over 32 points per game and are the only two Hoyas that average double figures. ‘Nova held them to 20 combined points. Georgetown is most successful when that pair gets theirs and at least one teammate chips in with double figures. A repeat performance would go a long way towards another easy victory.

The Georgetown defense has suffered mightily after coming into the first meeting with respectable numbers. The Hoyas’ points against have risen from 69.9 to 75.3 while their defensive efficiency rating on KenPom has fallen from 69 to 108.

The most glaring key to the game remains the same as it was in the first meeting: turnovers. We mentioned the role turnovers played in Villanova’s victory in January, and Georgetown continues to struggle with turning the ball over and generating turnovers of their own. If this trend holds true, it’s tough to see a path to an upset for the Hoyas outside of an anomalous shooting performance.

There are three areas in which Georgetown has performed well: Rebounding, assists, and foul shooting.

In the Hoyas’ two most recent wins, they combined for 42 assists. They had 19 in a loss to Xavier that was closer than the 12-point margin indicated and had 20 in a close overtime loss to Marquette. When they are allowed to move the ball, the offense becomes much more dangerous. In the loss to ‘Nova they had just 15 compared to those 17 turnovers.

Georgetown’s rebounding numbers have slipped slightly since the last meeting with ‘Nova, but it remains a top 40 team in the country on the glass. The ‘Cats did an excellent job in the first meeting, outrebounding the Hoyas 31-27, and that played a big role in the large margin of victory. Controlling the glass is key for Georgetown, and the Hoyas are much more successful when they are even or positive in the battle on the boards.

Finally, Georgetown shoots 77% from the foul line, and if they are able to gain a disparity in trips to the line the chance for an upset increases.

There have been encouraging signs for the Hoyas this season, but work remains to get the program where it wants to be. And so ‘Nova enters the game heavily favored. If the ‘Cats can take care of the ball while forcing Georgetown miscues, hold their own on the boards, and prevent the Hoyas from opening a significant advantage from the free-throw line then they should handle business.

Should the game go as planned, Nova Nation will shift its attention to looking for an improvement on the offensive end from Wednesday night, looking for evidence that the performance at Seton Hall was an aberration. Likewise, it will watch for continued defensive improvement, as Villanova is within striking distance of the mythical 20/20 club in KenPom (top 20 in both offensive and defensive efficiency).

With a win, Villanova finishes the regular season an impressive 27-4, solidifies its chances of a one seed in the NCAA tournament, and builds some confidence and momentum heading into the postseason. A loss would send the ‘Cats into tournament play with some serious questions and concerns and some extra pressure in the Big East tournament. Following Wednesday’s narrow escape at Seton Hall, expect a focused Villanova team.

Also, a ‘Nova win would be number 413 for Jay Wright, which would tie him with Al Severance for the most all-time at Villanova.

The game is on Fox at 5.