After a week in which the Hoyas broke two close games open in the second half-eventually beating both No. 19 Virginia Tech and St. John’s by wide margins- Georgetown’s Women’s Basketball team was not able to continue the trend Sunday. The Hoyas lost a nail-biter to Big East nemesis Rutgers University, despite Rebekkah Brunson’s record-setting performance. Georgetown’s slide continued Wednesday, as they lost another close game, this time falling 70-61 to West Virginia University.
In a game featuring five ties and 12 lead changes, the Hoyas were again led by senior forward Rebekkah Brunson as they squared off against Rutgers. Brunson set the Lady Hoyas’ all-time rebound record during the game and contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds to the Hoyas’ cause. Brunson finished the game with 950 career rebounds, and is on pace to become the only female athlete in Georgetown history to record 1000 career points and 1000 rebounds.
Brunson is a legitimate All-American candidate; she leads the Big East with 10 double-doubles this season and has an amazing 42 such games in her career. She also has the highest scoring average in Big East games in the conference. Following the game against the Scarlet Knights Brunson was named the Big East Player of the Week-the fourth time this season she has received the honor.
Obviously impressed by a tight matchup, over 4000 Rutgers students, faculty, and community members attended Sunday’s game, a stark contrast to the official attendance of 289 at Georgetown’s last home game.
When asked about the Rutgers contest, a member of the Georgetown University athletic department who wished to remain anonymous reported that “It was a great game, but we just couldn’t put it away.” “It was a nail-biter.”
Rutgers jumped out to a quick 21-11 lead in the first half before Georgetown went on a 10-0 run to even the score at 26. A Mary Lisicky jumper sent the Hoyas into the half up 30-29, their first lead of the game. Lisicky led her team in the first stanza with 10 points on 4-8 shooting. Lisicky, a 5’9” junior who already holds Georgetown’s record for three-pointers in a single game, is now four treys away from becoming Georgetown’s all-time leader. She shot an impressive 4-9 from beyond the arc against the Lady Knights.
In the second half the nip-and-tuck affair continued, with neither team able to open up more than a four point lead. Sophomore forward Carmen Bruce caught fire in the second period, scoring 10 points to lead the Hoyas. Unfortunately, Rutgers guard Chelsea Newton matched her, tallying 10 of her own on perfect 5-5 shooting.
With the game tied at 62 with just over a minute remaining, Brunson grabbed three straight offensive rebounds, but was unable to convert on a rebound. After an ill-advised Lisicky foul, the Knights’ leader, Cappie Pondexter, sank two free throws to give Rutgers the lead. The Hoyas stormed back, with Brunson sinking a lay-up off a beautiful fast-break feed from Bruce, but Newton won the game for Rutgers on the succeeding possession, banking in a jumper from inside the key. Anonymous sources within Georgetown’s athletic department insisted the bank-shot was accidental.
Georgetown’s ill-fortune continued Wednesday against West Virginia, as they managed to shoot only 29.6 percent in the second half and were overwhelmed after leading by four at the break. The Mountaineers, in comparison, shot 46.9 percent in the second period. In every other statistical category the teams were nearly even.
Playing in front of their older brother, St. Louis Rams Quarterback Marc (in town before heading for the Pro Bowl in Hawaii), WVU’s Bulger sisters combined to drop 32 on the Hoyas. Brunson again led Georgetown with 19 points, followed by Lisicky’s 14 (two three-pointers) and Bethany LeSeur’s 12.
The Hoyas return home this Saturday to face Villanova. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
