When getting knocked down, good teams seem to always find a way to get back up. Chumbawumba’s mantra was appropriate for the women’s basketball team facing St. John’s on Tuesday night—less than a week after the Hoyas squandered their 16-game winning streak with an away loss to Marquette.
While an evening snowstorm blanketed the Hilltop, the team took care of the Red Storm as the No. 18 Hoyas (19-3, 8-1 Big East) defeated No. 25 St. John’s (18-4, 6-3 Big East) 67-57. It was the first time that two top-25 teams faced each other inside McDonough in nearly three decades. The last time such a meeting occurred, the No. 13 men’s team defeated No. 4 Missouri en route to a Final Four appearance.
The Hoyas got out to a hot start as freshman guard Sugar Rodgers knocked down three consecutive three-pointers and the Georgetown defense stifled St. John’s, keeping them off the board until the 15:50 mark. Georgetown rode sharp shooting and pressure defense to a comfortable 37-21 lead at halftime. The team shot 54.5 percent while forcing St. John’s into 12 turnovers. This defensive dominance isn’t anything new for Georgetown. The team is currently second in the nation in steals, averaging 14.3 per game.
When the second half started, though, the Red Storm flipped the script on the Hoyas. St. John’s began the half on a 15-4 run by shooting 63.6 percent in the first nine minutes while furiously trapping Georgetown’s offense, causing the Hoyas to shoot just 25 percent from the field. It looked like a typical second half for the Hoyas, who have consistently let opponents back into games.
After St. John’s cut the lead to three, Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy called a timeout to relax her team.
“In the huddle I just told them not to panic,” Coach Williams-Flournoy said. “Unfortunately we’ve been in this situation before and I know if they see me panicked, then they’ll panic. I just told them to calm down and play our game.”
Williams-Flournoy’s calming influence was the perfect remedy for the struggling Hoyas. Coming out of the timeout, they went on a quick 10-0 run to regain a large lead, which they held on to through the end of the game. No Hoya had a more complete game then sophomore forward Latia Magee. Magee had seven rebounds, five assists, and twelve points, all well above her season averages. Williams-Flournoy was proud of Magee for her performance, especially considering she is undersized and playing out of position.
“I think more impressive than anything else was the seven rebounds, it’s tough for her playing that position at her size,” Williams-Flournoy said.
Georgetown will have some much-needed rest before their Wednesday game at Pittsburg at 7 p.m.
