“We gutted it out,” said Georgetown Head Coach Natasha Adair. “Sometimes it’s not pretty, but our team doesn’t quit and we gutted it out.”
While the “it” Adair mentioned was the particularly grueling final matchup of the Georgetown women’s basketball team’s (6-2, Big East) seven-game road stretch, she could just as easily have been talking about the voyage in its entirety. The team, which embarked on the journey following a victorious home opener against George Washington (7-2, 1-0 Atlantic Ten), sometimes struggled, always fought to the buzzer, and more often than not—five times out of seven, to be precise—came away with the win.
After their season opening success, the Hoyas stumbled in the following game, a 73-63 loss to No. 25 Virginia Tech (8-0, ACC). While the team started the game strong, and led until halfway through the fourth quarter, Georgetown could not limit its fouls as the clock winded down, and the Hokies propelled themselves to victory from the charity stripe.
Photo: Georgetown Sports Information
With their second game came their second loss, as the Blue and Gray fell to Minnesota (5-3, Big Ten), 68-60. The disappointment came despite double-doubles from both junior guard Dorothy Adomako, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and senior guard Faith Woodard, who recorded 15 points and 12 rebounds. The lead shifted back and forth throughout, but the Hoyas were careless with the ball, turning it over 21 times, giving the Golden Gophers the opportunity to take home the victory.
The third game was the charm, however, as Georgetown stopped the skid by outgunning Florida International University (1-6, Conference USA) 66-53. Woodard led the team with 20 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks, and sophomore guard Dionna White demonstrated quick hands on defense, racking up six steals to complement her 15 points. The Panthers and the Hoyas were neck-and-neck through the first two quarters, but after halftime, Georgetown outscored FIU 42-29 to gain its first road win of the season.
After a brief return to the Hilltop for some much-needed rest, the team then travelled back to Florida, this time to Daytona Beach for the San Juan Shootout tournament, held during the Thanksgiving break. The tournament was originally planned for San Juan, Puerto Rico, but was rescheduled for the mainland in response to concerns about Zika. The tournament slated each team for two guaranteed games, with no following rounds.
The Hoyas defeated previously undefeated Wright State (4-2, Horizon League) in the first of their two Shootout games.. Woodard led Georgetown with a dominant 23 points and eight rebounds. The game was a back and forth affair until the end of the fourth period when Adomako scored the go-ahead layup. The Georgetown defense then came up with several clutch stops down the stretch to preserve the lead.
In the second game of the Shootout, Georgetown continued its winning ways with its third consecutive victory, defeating Penn State (6-2, Big Ten) 68-54. At the end of the first half, the Hoyas and Nittany Lions were nearly deadlocked, first half but Penn State held a slim lead, 29-27. The Hoyas were triumphant, surpassing Penn State’s stout defense to gain a go-ahead lead in the final quarter on the heels of eight consecutive made free throws from Adomako and four from Woodard.
The Hoyas then beat Towson (6-1, CAA), 75-59, five days later for their fourth victory in a row. Georgetown controlled the court for most of the game, forcing contested shots on defense and playing aggressively on offense. Adomako led the team with 17 points while Woodard posted her third double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Notably, senior guard Mykia Jones helped lead the team in the first half and managed a career-high of 15 points.
Photo: Georgetown Sports Information
The road trip concluded with a 54-46 victory against Delaware (5-3, NCAA), lengthening their undefeated run to five games. Georgetown was forced to play a heavily defensive game and eased into offense slowly, resulting in the low final score. White led the Hoyas with 18 points; She was the only player on the team to score double digits, however. The game was tight at 46-46 in the last two minutes of the game until Woodard increased Georgetown’s score with a three-pointer followed by two free throws from White, giving the Hoyas a final lead of eight points after a rough and tiring game.
With its epic journey concluded, the team returns to McDonough to face George Mason on Thursday, December 8th. Tip-off is at 7:00 pm EST, and the game will be streamed on the Georgetown Athletic Department’s website.
