Sophomore forward Kieraah Marlow strapped the Georgetown women’s basketball team on her back for the first week of the season. Her average of 18 points and nine rebounds led the squad to a 3-1 record. The Hoyas started off with a 67-59 win against Savannah State in Georgia on Nov. 20 and posted a 68-60 win over Mount St. Mary’s in their home opener on Nov. 23.
Against Mount St. Mary’s, the Hoyas got off to a slow start, gaining the lead in the final minutes of the first half. Mount St. Mary’s led by as much as nine, but the Hoyas cut the lead down to two with 10 minutes left in the first half. With three seconds left, sophomore guard Kristin Heidloff netted a three from downtown, giving the Hoyas their first lead of the game, 29-28.
“We just had to keep playing and eventually the shots would fall, which they did in the second half,” Head Coach Terri Fluornoy-Williams said. “It’s a little bit of everything, first-time jitters and two freshmen.”
The Hoyas came out firing in the second half, leading by as much 11 points with seven minutes left. Mount St. Mary’s went on a mini-run, cutting the lead to three with two minutes to go, but the Hoyas were able to hold them off and come out with the eight-point win.
“Our defense helped our offense get back on track,” Heidloff said. “We started getting back in the game when we started making things happen on defense, getting deflections, steals and lay-ups. Once you get into the game with defense, the offense will flow more naturally.”
The Hoyas shot 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range, holding the Mountaineers to just 35 percent shooting. Georgetown out-rebounded Mount St. Mary’s 45-33 and forced 20 turnovers.
Marlow led the Hoyas with 27 points and 16 rebounds, posting her first double-double of the season. Senior guard Bethany LeSueur and Heidloff also scored in double figures in the game with 11 and 12 points, respectively.
“Kieraah kept us in the game,” Fluornoy-Williams said. “She did what she’s done last year; she just feels it when she feels it.”
The Hoyas spent Thanksgiving weekend in Muncie, Ind. for the Ball St. Credit Union Classic, playing against North Dakota St. (1-3) on Saturday and Lipscomb University (2-4) on Sunday. The weekend resulted in a 64-51 loss to North Dakota State and a blow out of Lipscomb 77-45 in their second game.
Georgetown shot just 29 percent from the field in their game against North Dakota, pulling down 19 rebounds compared to 29 from the Bison. Junior guard Kate Carlin scored a season-high 16 points and Marlow finished the game with 12 points.
Against Lipscomb on Sunday, the Hoyas shot 46 percent from the field in the first half on their way to a 45-21 lead. In the second half, the Hoyas held Lipscomb scoreless for an eight-minute span, extending their lead to 27 with five minutes left in the game. First-year forward Katrina Wheeler posted her first double-double of the season finishing the game with 11 points and 13 boards. Marlow finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds for the contest. Her performance earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team, averaging 17.5 points and 6.3 points in the two games.
Last night, the Hoyas came back from a nine-point second half deficit but lost 68-62 in overtime.
The team will return home on Saturday, Dec. 3 to face Appalachian State at McDonough Arena. Tip-off is set for 3pm.
