The Georgetown women’s basketball team (14-7, 6-5 Big East) won a thrilling conference contest against the Providence Friars (10-13, 2-10 Big East), 72-70, in overtime on Friday afternoon. Georgetown was led by senior forward Faith Woodard, who scored 17 points—including a game-tying three pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining—and grabbed eight rebounds. Junior forward Cynthia Petke added eight points and 14 rebounds, nine of which came on the offensive end. Providence was led by the duo of senior guard Sarah Beal and sophomore guard Jovana Nogic, who scored 24 and 17 points, respectively.
The Blue and Gray have now won five consecutive conference games, the longest such streak since Feb. 8, 2011. Georgetown now sits just one game out of third place in the conference.
In the first quarter, sophomore guard Dionna White provided seven points and three assists, but she was countered by eight points from Nogic and six from Beal. The teams exchanged buckets for much of the period, as neither team was able to control the pace of the game. Providence struggled with turnovers early, committing seven in the quarter. Georgetown, however, was unable to capitalize on these opportunities, scoring just two points off turnovers in the stanza.
The Hoyas forced another four turnovers in the second quarter, which led to five points. The team also managed to hold Beal and Nogic to just one combined point during the period. Entering the intermission, Georgetown held a slim 30-28 advantage. Senior guard Tyshell King provided a huge spark off the bench for Georgetown, scoring eight points on 3-5 shooting (2-2 3PT) and grabbing three rebounds in the quarter.
“That’s what I do every day,” King said when asked about her aggressive play. “I come in, bring energy, and work hard. That’s just who I am.”
Beal would not be contained for long, however, as she used a blend of layups and mid-range jumpers to score ten points in the third quarter. Nogic added five points as Providence outscored Georgetown 24-17 in the period. Beal’s jump shot with :17 remaining in the quarter gave the Friars their biggest lead of the game at six points.
“I knew that they were coming,” said Georgetown Head Coach Natasha Adair. “It didn’t surprise me that they put the team on their backs… I felt like we didn’t take away lane lines early. Those two are top players in our league, so it doesn’t surprise me that they stepped up today.”
Georgetown opened the fourth facing a five point deficit and major foul trouble. Junior forward Dorothy Adomako, a preseason all-Big East team selection, fouled out midway through the quarter, forcing Georgetown to play without one of its most reliable players for the remainder of the game. White and Woodard stepped up for the Hoyas, combining for 13 of the team’s 17 fourth quarter points.
Providence made two free throws with :13 left on the game clock to extend its lead to three points, prompting a Georgetown timeout. On their final possession of regulation, the Hoyas turned to White, who missed a three from the wing. Woodard, however, grabbed the rebound and quickly dribbled to the three-point line, where she turned and drained the game-tying shot with 0.6 seconds remaining. As McDonough Arena—which was filled with hundreds of local primary school-aged children participating in Georgetown’s ‘Field Trip Day’—exploded with cheers, Adair’s pride in the senior captain was evident.
“Faith Woodard was a senior leader today,” she said. “She had the presence of mind to get the rebound, to back up, realize where she was and where the three-point line was… and she didn’t even blink. That, to me, is a sign of confidence. That’s courage. Those are the kinds of winning plays this team can make and makes daily.”
Entering the overtime period, King replaced Adomako in the starting lineup. Just one minute into overtime, however, White fouled out. With four minutes to play in a crucial Big East matchup, the Hoyas would be without two starters. King, and senior guard Mykia Jones provided valuable minutes off the bench to help seal the victory. After trailing for much of the period, Georgetown took a 72-70 lead with :50 remaining after a jump shot from King. From there, the Hoyas would seal the victory with solid defense and clock management.
“Coming off the bench, we (the bench players) had Dorothy and Dionna’s backs,” said King.
“Was I disappointed to not have them (Adomako and White) in the game? Yes. But, I’m more proud of the people who stepped up,” Adair said. “Tyshell King? She is the energy of this group. Tonight was her night.”
The team will have just one day to rest before hosting Creighton (15-6, 9-2 Big East) on Sunday at 1:00 pm in McDonough Arena. Sunday’s matchup could have huge Big East Tournament seeding implications, but Woodard says the team intends to keep everything in perspective.
“We had good energy out there today. We’re just trying to take it a game at a time so we’re trying to stay focused and get the win against Creighton.”
