Last year, Georgetown ended the regular season with an overall record of 12-16 and a final Big East tally of 7-9. A difficult pre-conference schedule was echoed by the rigors of a Big East season which unveiled the deep divide between the Big East’s top programs (Rutgers, UConn, Notre Dame) and those striving to prove they belong. However, the Hoyas conference record was solid enough to land them the sixth seed in the Big East tournament, the team’s highest seeding since the 1999-00 season.
The Hoyas opened their 2004-2005 season with a home loss to cross-town nemesis George Washington, 67-62. Early the next week, Georgetown traveled to Utah, in their first ever meeting with the Utes. In their first game on the road, Georgetown struggled to shoot from the floor and lost 64-53.
The Hoyas bounced back with their first win, 67-56, over Delaware, as first-year forward Kieraah Marlow lead the team with 14 points and four rebounds. Georgetown split the next two games, losing at Richmond and then winning at home against Army. After dropping a game to George Mason, 70-62, the Hoyas knocked off both Lafayette and Canisius at McDonough Arena. Georgetown utilized a balanced attack against Canisius, as all five starters put up double-digit numbers in points.
After the holidays, the Hoyas headed to Philadelphia to play in the Women’s Basketball Classic. Host team LaSalle snapped the Hoyas’ two-game winning streak, but Georgetown recovered with a win over Kent State. Georgetown capped off their pre-conference play with a loss at Clemson, 71-62. This defeat left the Hoyas with an overall record of 5-6, heading into their first Big East match-up of the year.
Facing Big East-deserter Boston College to kick off conference play, the Hoyas were thrashed by 49 points, 78-29. The outcomes went unchanged when Georgetown headed to New Jersey, getting bounced by Rutgers and Seton Hall to start the season 0-3 in the Big East.
The Hoyas returned home to earn a much-needed win against St. John’s. However, a three-game slide pushed Georgetown’s Big East record to 1-6. Losses to Villanova and Pittsburgh, as well as a season sweep by Seton Hall, left Georgetown’s women in a deep hole.
Nonetheless, the Hoyas quickly turned things around, winning three in a row. Georgetown pounded a hopeless Providence team, won at Syracuse and fended off the Mountaineers of West Virginia. The Hoyas then made a trip to South Bend, challenging but ultimately falling to Notre Dame, a perennial top-25 team. The Hoyas followed the loss with another tough match up with the best of the Big East, losing 67-49 to UConn at home. Several days later, the Hoyas split their season series with West Virginia, dropping this one 73-61.
Georgetown made a late-season push, winning their final three regular season games to finish at 7-9 in the Big East. Knocking off St. John’s, 64-57, in Queens, New York started the Hoyas’ streak. Big East foe Villanova fell to the Hoyas in a close 62-60 battle at McDonough. Senior forward Varda Tamoulianis paced the team with a double-double, bringing Georgetown to its only win of the season over a team with a superior Big East record.
The Hoyas ended the regular season on a 73-67 win over Syracuse, earning the sixth seed in the Big East Championship tournament. Just four days later, however, the Orange knocked out the Hoyas 65-58.
Last season left Georgetown in the middle of the pack, able to fend off lesser Big East teams, but struggling with the national giants who have a stranglehold on this conference. A new, expanded Big East will pose several new challenges and present new opportunities for the 2005-2006 women’s basketball team.
