The Georgetown women’s basketball team improved their record to 9-2 (1-1 Big East) with a 79-67 win over Providence College in McDonough Gymnasium yesterday. Junior forward Rebekkah Brunson led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win.
This was the Hoyas’ second Big East game of the season and their first win in the conference. They lost to the Miami Hurricanes 57-60 on Jan. 4.
“It was good to get a win and get back on track after the Miami game,” said senior forward Zsuzsanna Horvath. “We look at all the Big East games as very important.”
The Hoyas started off slowly in the first half, getting their first points almost two minutes into the game off a three-pointer by first-year forward Carmen Bruce. Bruce played solidly at the start of the game, helping the team find a rhythm with her eight points in the first half, including two consecutive threes to open scoring for Georgetown.
“If Carmen didn’t come out popping, the damage [in the first half] would have been worse,” said Head Coach Pat Knapp.
The Hoyas passed well in the first half but only shot 46 percent from the field and 44 percent from the free throw line compared to Providence’s perfect shooting from the line. Providence out-rebounded Georgetown 19-14 and led 36-32 at halftime.
“In the first half we were missing shots and we didn’t play well,” said Knapp. “You can’t lose your balance and be consistent.”
Sophomore guard and three-point specialist Mary Lisicky was quiet in the first half with three unsuccessful field-goal attempts but started off the second half with a three-pointer to bring the Hoyas within one point of the Friars. She finished off the contest with five three-pointers and 18 points.
The Hoyas ran the offense smoothly in the second half and were more efficient with their passing and shot attempts, shooting 65 percent from the field, 71 percent from three-point land and 57 percent from the line. They showed more aggressive play on both the offensive and defensive ends, grabbing more rebounds and earning more chances from the line. Brunson led all players with eleven attempts.
“We had better defensive positions in the second half,” said Bruce. “We pushed the ball more and created more opportunities for offensive.”
With less than three minutes to go, the Hoyas slipped again, turning the ball over three times and missing six shots, including two missed free-throws by Brunson.
“You can’t turn the ball over in the last five minutes,” said Knapp. “We’ve got things to work on this week in practice.”
“We need to work on running the offense,” said Horvath. “We know all the little things we need to work on.”
The Hoyas will face Colombia University on Jan. 13 at McDonough Arena at 7 p.m.
