Norfolk, VA (Sports Network) - Chris Wright scored 19 points and Jason Clark added 18, as No. 20 Georgetown escaped the Constant Convocation Center with a 62-59 victory over Old Dominion after Darius James missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Georgetown (1-0) trailed for most of the second half before rallying down the stretch with the help of Big East Preseason Player of the Year Austin Freeman, who ended with 17 points in the season-opening win.
Kent Bazemore, Frank Hassell and Ben Finney each netted 13 points for the Monarchs (0-1), who had their 23-game home winning streak broken.
Both programs returned four starters from NCAA Tournament teams a season ago. While the Hoyas were ousted as a No. 3 seed in the first round, the Monarchs upset Notre Dame as a No. 11 seed before succumbing to Baylor.
ODU appeared ready to knock off another Big East power by going up 49-41 on a James free throw with 6:21 remaining.
Georgetown had an answer, though, as Freeman hit one from behind the arc, then was fouled making another from long range on the next possession to make it a one-point game. Wright beat the shot clock with a trey for Georgetown's first lead of the second half with 3:55 remaining.
Keyon Carter tied the game with a layup, but Wright drilled another three for a 54-51 cushion with just over three minutes left.
After trading baskets, two Finney free throws cut the deficit to one, but Clark's three from the left wing yielded a 59-55 game with 46 seconds to go.
Finney made one free throw and missed the second, and Wright was able to put in a quick layup for a five-point edge.
Wright and Freeman each went 1-of-2 from the foul line down the stretch to give ODU a chance to tie, but James' running three from just over the halfcourt line hit all backboard to end the Monarchs' reign at home.
A physical first half ended with ODU leading 25-19.
Before the game, Georgetown was notified by the NCAA that freshman Moses Ayegba was ruled ineligible for the first nine games of the season after the Nigeria-born center accepted a plane ticket to come to the United States from someone who was not a member of his immediate family...Head coach Blaine Taylor is still 11 wins shy of becoming ODU's leader in career wins...After shooting 1-for-10 from the three-point range in the first half, the Hoyas made 7-of-11 from behind the arc in the final 20 minutes...Finney grabbed a game- high 10 rebounds.