VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Josh Hart's confidence never wavered.
Despite being mired in a second-half shooting slump, the preseason National Player of the Year candidate stepped up when Villanova needed him most.
Hart scored 25 points, including a dagger 3-pointer with 1:24 remaining, Donte DiVincenzo added 15, and second-ranked Villanova defeated Georgetown 75-64 on Tuesday night at The Pavilion.
"He's a stud," Villanova coach Jay Wright said of Hart. "Certain guys, just physically, they can handle the minutes. Josh is one of those guys. He makes that shot at the end."
How?
"You've got to have strong legs to catch and drill that," Wright said.
Mikal Bridges scored 11 points and Kris Jenkins had nine for the Wildcats (23-2, 10-2 Big East), who won their fourth in a row despite making just 9 of 29 shots from the field in the second half.
Villanova won once again, yet had lapses down the stretch to make the game tight.
"It starts with the three seniors," Hart said, referring to himself, Jenkins and Darryl Reynolds. "We've got to demand that of ourselves and play Villanova basketball."
The victory was Villanova's 48th straight at The Pavilion, its cozy, 6,500-seat, on-campus arena. The current record-setting streak began in February 2013, the game after losing 55-52 to Providence.
For some tense moments, the streak appeared to be in jeopardy.
"We've got to become more focused," Wright said. "They're fun-loving, loose guys. They get down, blow leads, and it doesn't affect them. They don't panic."
Georgetown's preparation for this game took a difficult twist when the Hoyas' team bus collided with an SUV north of Baltimore on Monday afternoon. Guard Tre Campbell sustained a bruised right knee in the accident and wasn't able to dress for the game. In addition, coach John Thompson III hurt a knee and was noticeably hobbling the entire game.
After the accident, another bus was provided and the team traveled to the Philadelphia area.
Thompson limped up onto the postgame podium and said that he's going to the doctor on Wednesday to have the knee checked.
"Our prayers go out to the other people that were in the accident," Thompson said.
"It's a blessing no one got hurt and we were able to play this game," added Rodney Pryor, who scored 20 points.
L.J. Peak led the Hoyas (13-12, 4-8) with 21 points.
Georgetown improved a bit on its long-range shooting, going 6 of 18 from 3-point territory after hitting just 1 of 19 on Saturday in a two-point overtime loss to Seton Hall.
Villanova maintained its double-digit lead midway through the second half thanks mostly to its suffocating defense, especially on the perimeter.
DiVincenzo's driving layup gave the Wildcats a 56-39 edge with 10:59 left.
The Hoyas responded with a 7-0 run to get within 56-46, forcing Villanova to take a timeout.
Hart was 6 of 9 in the first half but missed his first seven shots after halftime, and Georgetown eventually climbed within 58-49 with 7:07 remaining. Hart, Jenkins and Jalen Brunson missed 14 consecutive shots in the second half.
Pryor's baseline jumper cut the advantage to 58-51.
Peak later knocked down a 3-pointer and Pryor hit a layup to close the gap to 60-58 with 3:49 left.
"You fight and claw to get back in it and you end with them going on a run," Thompson said. "That's what good teams do."
Hart snapped the shooting drought with a huge 3-pointer to push the Wildcats ahead 66-59 with 1:24 remaining.
It was enough to propel the Wildcats to a hard-fought victory.
"We've got to continue to grow," Wright said.
After an early 12-9 deficit, the hot-shooting Wildcats took control. A 10-0 run gave them a 19-12 advantage, and the margin ballooned to 28-15 on a 3-pointer by Brunson.
Hart led the way with 17 first-half points as the Wildcats were up 43-28 at the break.
NOTES:
-- Villanova coach Jay Wright picked up his 499th victory. Wright began his career in the 1994-95 season at Hofstra. Win No. 500 is possible Saturday when Villanova plays at No. 24 Xavier.
-- Georgetown played its eighth game this season against a nationally ranked team.
-- Villanova G Phil Booth was out again because of left knee tendinitis. It is unclear if he will miss the remainder of the season.
-- This was Georgetown's first visit to The Pavilion since 2006.
-- On Monday, Villanova moved up two spots to No. 2 in the Top 25 in the latest rankings, sitting behind only Gonzaga.
-- The Hoyas play host to Marquette on Saturday.
