The Georgetown University women’s basketball team tipped off the season on the road this past week, dropping their opener at Hampton College last Friday but bouncing back to win over Gardner-Webb on Tuesday evening.
Friday night’s game proved to be a challenge for Georgetown. The Hoyas (1-1) and Lady Pirates (2-0) played a back-and-forth game with six lead changes and five ties. The Hoyas went into the second half down 24-21 and could not hold onto a lead before the clock expired. The Lady Pirates had the edge in rebounds 39-32 and Georgetown committed 24 turnovers while Hampton Pirates let go of 21 possesions. Senior forward and captain Kieraah Marlow paced the Hoyas with a game-high 17 points while junior guard Brina Pollack had 12 points and two assists. Senior guard Rachel Butler led Hampton with 16 points and 5 assists, while freshman forward Quanneisha Perry chipped in 13 points.
The story was different Tuesday night when a 17-0 run in the second half sealed the first win of the season for Georgetown. The Hoyas led by as much as 14 in the first period only to watch the Runnin’ Bulldogs (1-1) cut the lead to 43-37 at the break and then take the lead early in the second. With 13 minutes left and the game knotted at 48, the Runnin’ Bulldogs suddenly went cold over the next eight minutes while Georgetown poured it on and never looked back.
The Hoyas out-rebounded their opponents 47-35 and capitalized on more chances at the stripe, sinking 61.8 percent, while Gardner-Webb only hit 55.6 percent. Kieraah Marlow again led the Hoyas with 17 points, Brina Pollack had 12, and sophomore forward Jaleesa Butler added 10 points and 9 rebounds while sophomore guard Meredith Cox grabbed 7 boards. For Gardner-Webb, freshman guard Monique Hudson scored a game-high 23, while sophomore forward Laura Povilonyte chipped in 12 and sophomore center Sherika Montgomery pulled down 8 rebounds.
The Hoyas play against cross-town rival American University in their home opener Friday at 7:30 p.m. in McDonough Gymnasium.
