WASHINGTON -- Xavier broke open a tight game by making 12 of its first 13 shots after halftime, and Edmond Sumner finished with a career-best 22 points, leading the eighth-ranked Musketeers past slumping Georgetown 88-70 on Saturday.
Getting set to take on top-ranked Villanova in its next game, Xavier (24-3, 12-3 Big East) played far better than during a home loss to Georgetown a month ago.
After shooting only 35 percent in that setback, the Musketeers wound up at 54 percent Saturday, including the near-perfect stretch to open the second half. After leading 35-33 at halftime, Xavier scored 13 consecutive points coming out of the break and eventually went ahead by as many as 21.