After losing to Notre Dame on Saturday, the Georgetown women’s basketball team looked to get back on track against St. John’s Tuesday night in the Big East Game of the Week. The Hoyas were seeking their seventh win in 10 games, and to get it, they needed a mature player to step up. Senior guard Karee Houlette filled just that role leading the team with a career high 22 points as Georgetown defeated St. John’s 64-48. The win helped improve the Hoyas’ Big East record to 2-1, and with a tough conference schedule approaching, each victory is vital.
The Hoyas took control of the game from the get-go, as their pressure defense forced a turnover on St. John’s first possession.
“I thought we came out from the jump and played defense extremely hard. We pushed the ball in transition,” fifth-year head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. “But what we could do better is handle the press.”
Houlette helped Georgetown go on an 8-2 run to start the game, but the lead disintegrated midway into the first half when the Red Storm went on a 12-point run. St. John’s senior guard Kelly McManmon poured in 5 points during the 3-minute stretch. After a half full of lead changes, Georgetown came out with a 32-26 advantage. The Hoyas shot 44 percent in the first half while SJU was held to 29.6 percent.
Both teams started off sluggish in the second half as neither scored until Houlette hit a field goal 5 minutes in. The basket jumpstarted an 11-2 run for Georgetown and gave them a comfortable 45-31 lead. Junior Jaleesa Butler helped build the score by contributing five of her 14 points in the second half. The Hoyas remained aggressive as the game wore on, never letting the Red Storm get within 10 points.
Along with Houlette and Butler, Shanice Fuller hit double digits with 11 points, and Monica McNutt led the team with nine rebounds. Georgetown coasted easily to victory in the final minutes as they improved to 2-1 in the Big East and 12-4 overall.
The Hoyas’ upcoming schedule is no walk in the park, though, as they will face off against top-ranked teams Louisville and Connecticut.
“We just take it one game at a time,” Williams-Flournoy said. “We have to continue the things that we do, play defense hard, be aggressive, and rebound.”
