GAME NOTES: The fifth-ranked Georgetown Hoyas put their unblemished record on the line this afternoon, as they welcome the Fairfield Stags to the nation's capital for a non-conference tilt at the Verizon Center. John Thompson's Hoyas have won a pair of games at home and a pair of games on the road thus far. Georgetown returns home for the first time since November 15th, following a successful road trip with wins over Ball State (57-48) and most recently, Old Dominion (66-48). Fairfield has already experienced ups and downs on the season. The Stags opened the season with a two straight losses, followed by two consecutive wins. The team is back on a two-game slide, with losses to Cincinnati (69-64) and St. Francis-NY (55-51) in the last seven days. The Hoyas hold a 14-4 edge in the all-time series with Fairfield and have won five straight meetings, including a 73-60 decision in Connecticut last year.

The Stags couldn't get going offensively against St. Francis last time out, as the team shot a mere .385 from the floor, including just 4-of-20 from three- point range (.200). To make matters worse, Fairfield also couldn't find its stroke from the free-throw line (7-of-14) and turned the ball over a costly 20 times. Yorel Hawkins was the only Stag to post decent numbers, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the floor en route to a team-high 11 points. Offensive woes have been the norm this year, as the Stags are putting up just 62.2 ppg, shooting a disappointing .390 from the floor. Jonathan Han and Greg Nero have been the most consistent scorers on the team, netting 11.8 and 10.0 ppg, respectively.

The Hoyas don't do anything flashy at the offensive end of the floor. The team does make every trip down the court count though. Georgetown is averaging a rather pedestrian 66.2 ppg, on .488 shooting, but is enjoying a +16.0 scoring margin thanks to stellar defensive play (allowing just 50.2 ppg). The strength of the team resides in the middle, with All-American candidate Roy Hibbert. One of the premier big men in the nation, the 7-2 senior is both an offensive force (16.3 ppg) and defensive menace (7.8 rpg, 3.0 bpg). With Hibbert bringing attention to the play in the paint, guard Jessie Sapp has hurt teams from the perimeter. The 6-3 junior is averaging 12.0 ppg, shooting .545 from the floor and .421 from behind the arc. He is also the team's primary distributor, averaging just over five assists per outing. In the win over Old Dominion, Georgetown went on a decisive 11-1 run to start the second half to cruise to victory. Hibbert recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Freshman Austin Freeman chipped in 11 points off the bench.

Hibbert will be able to control the low post in this one. A huge game from the Hoyas' big man should be able to keep the stagnant Stags at bay, en route to a double-digit victory.