The Georgetown Hoyas defeated Harvard 86-70 on Christmas Eve eve in their last tune-up before starting conference play. The game was closely contested for most of the first half; every time it looked like Georgetown was pulling away, Harvard answered to keep the score close.

Two back-to-back Georgetown turnovers led to transition Crimson baskets to tie the score at 33 with 3:30 to play in the first half. But the Hoyas closed the half on an 11-0 run to take a 44-33 lead into the break.

The second half saw the Hoyas stretch out their lead, taking a 24 point lead at the 11 minute mark. Harvard answered with a 10-1 run but was unable to make a game out of it, as the Hoyas’ lead never dipped below 12 the rest of the way.

Chris Wright had a career-high 34 points, the most points for a Georgetown player under Coach Thompson. Wright also had six rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Austin Freeman added 21 points, and Greg Monroe had another double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Harvard’s Jeremy Lin had 15 points to lead the Crimson, but also committed six turnovers.

Georgetown has eight days off before returning to the court to begin Big East play. The Hoyas host St. John’s at Verizon Center on New Year’s Eve, with tip-off scheduled for 8 PM.