Coming off of two straight disappointing losses to Power Five opponents, the Georgetown women’s basketball team (5-5 Big East) got back to winning ways with a victory in Richmond against VCU (2-8 Atlantic 10). With their 71-59 win at the Siegel Center, the Hoyas were able to climb back to a .500 record as they head into conference play.
Georgetown came out of the gates hot with an early 11-2 run fueled by scoring contributions from senior guard Mikayla Venson and senior forward Cynthia Petke. By the end of the first quarter the Hoyas held a comfortable 23-8 lead over the Rams.
Early in the second quarter VCU mounted a comeback with an 8-0 run to start the period. Georgetown junior guard Dionna White was able to put an end to VCU’s run with a three-pointer at the 5:11 mark of the quarter, but just a few minutes later, the Rams pulled within five points. With less than a half-minute remaining in the second quarter, Venson hit a mid-range jump shot and a three-point buzzer beater on consecutive possessions to extend the Georgetown lead to a far more comfortable 10 points going into the break.
In the third quarter, White took over the game offensively. She went 6-7 from the field, scoring 13 of Georgetown’s 24 points in the period. Overall, the Hoyas demonstrated remarkable offensive efficiency throughout the game. They shot 49.1% from the field, far exceeding their 36.4% season average. It was Georgetown’s lax defense that prevented this game from becoming a blowout.
The Hoyas began the final quarter with a 17-point lead and appeared on their way to an easy victory, but VCU coach Beth O’Boyle had other ideas. She implemented a full-court press and the Rams were able cut the lead to just nine points with two minutes remaining. The run was not enough though, and, despite allowing 59 points, Georgetown held on for a 12 point margin of victory.
The Hoyas were again led by their scoring triumvirate of White, Petke, and Venson which combined for 50 points. Petke also grabbed 12 rebounds, notching her seventh double-double on the season.
“It was great to get our top three scorers back into double figures,” said Georgetown head coach James Howard. “It was a game to build on and we’ll keep working to put 40 minutes together.”
Next up for Georgetown is the conference opener at Providence (7-5 Big East) on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
