The Georgetown women’s basketball team lost their fourth straight game on Wednesday night at McDonough Arena as visiting Pittsburgh dominated the Hoyas 91-72. Sophomore guard Mary Lisicky led all scorers with 27 points in the defeat. The loss drops the Hoyas to 11-6 (2-4 Big East).
Pittsburgh started the game with a heavy offensive punch, jumping to an early 18-5 lead. Pounding the ball inside, the Panthers created shots both in the paint and on the perimeter.
“The biggest thing early on was that [Pittsburgh senior forward Mandy] Wittenmyer schooled us,” said Head Coach Pat Knapp.
After establishing their post game, Pittsburgh was able to move the ball up the court with ease. Senior guard Laine Selwyn paced the Panthers with 17 first half points including three of three from behind the arc. As a team, Pittsburgh shot 42 percent from the field in the half.
While Pittsburgh put on an offensive display, the Hoyas stood around in awe. With minimal defensive pressure, Georgetown took themselves out of the game in the first half by being out-rebounded 23-15.
The stagnant defense translated to a lazy offense. Lisicky, junior forward Rebekkah Brunson and senior forward Nok Dunay were the only scorers for the Hoyas in the first half, and shot at a paltry 33 percent rate.
“A few people not shooting well puts a premium on the other three players on the court,” said Knapp. “There are going to be times that Becky Brunson can’t score every basket.”
The second half opened where the first half left off. Pittsburgh’s physical play dictated the tempo of the game in the Panthers’ favor. In shutting down the Hoyas, the Panthers also attacked the basket, earning 39 free throw attempts to Georgetown’s 23.
“We flat-out played a more physical team and didn’t show up,” said Knapp.
The Panthers maintained a steady 20-point advantage throughout the second half, using their speed and aggressiveness to keep the Hoyas at bay. The Hoyas were without sophomore guard Sarah Jenkins, one of their quickest players, because of a back injury. Jenkin’s absence was clearly felt as the Hoyas fell back on a platoon of players to complement Lisicky in the backcourt.
As has been the pattern, the Hoyas awoke for the final five minutes with the game out of reach. Down 29 with a little over five minutes to play, Lisicky found her stroke after scoring only eight points in the first half. With 19 points in the final five minutes, Lisicky trimmed Pittsburgh’s lead, but her offensive wizardry was too little, too late.
The final rebounding margin was 42-30 in the Panthers’ favor. In limiting the Hoyas on the boards, Pittsburgh shut down Brunson, keeping her to nine points on four of 15 shooting.
“We didn’t fight for the ball on the boards. We stunk,” said Knapp. “Our ball handling leaves much to be desired. We need a two-by-four over the head to understand that every little thing counts.”
While the Hoyas forced 23 Pittsburgh turnovers to the 18 they committed, overall there was a lack of desire on the Georgetown squad. As Pittsburgh grew more physical, the Hoyas backed down and were never able to match their intensity.
Knapp was upset with his team’s lack of fire.
“I could have had nine technicals this game, but the players need to go out and smack someone around,” he said. “The question is, where do the players get their fire? Because if someone shoves me with a forearm, I’m gonna shove him back.”
Georgetown’s next game is at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Seton Hall.
