The Georgetown women’s basketball team fell to a 7-15 record (1-9 in Big East) with a 77-54 defeat against Marquette (14-6, 5-4 Big East). The loss is the most recent in a six-game losing streak, as well as the 12th loss in the last 13 contests.
Facing a tough Big East rival in hostile territory, the Hoyas managed to remain competitive with Marquette for most of the contest. Strong performances by Faith Woodard and Natalie Butler, who both played almost the entire game, kept Georgetown within striking distance for most of the first half. Woodard scored 18 points to go along with five assists, while Butler scored 14, with eight rebounds and four assists. Unfortunately, these numbers were not enough to bring Georgetown to victory.
Not to be outdone, junior guard Arlesia Morse came off the bench to lead Marquette, shooting seven of eight from the field. By the end of the first half, Georgetown went into the locker room down by 10 points.
After struggling in the first few minutes after the half, Georgetown eventually began to buckle down again, pulling back to within 10. Yet the Hoyas’ struggles continued as Georgetown fell behind by over 20 points, leading to the lopsided final score.
Despite a tough night that saw her fail to connect on a single shot from the field, Samisha Powell did led the Hoyas with six assists. As a result of unimpressive shooting from the field, along with lackluster performance on the glass, Georgetown found itself unable to find an answer for Marquette, one of the better teams in the conference.
Following this disappointing defeat, the Hoyas will continue on to Creighton University in Omaha to try to bounce back from a discouraging run of play over the last few weeks.
Yet, in a transition year that has been largely disappointing, there are some bright signs for the team. As a result of her exceptional play over the last week, including at the game in Marquette, Georgetown’s Freshman center Natalie Butler was named Big East Conference Rookie of the Week, the eighth time that she has received the honor. Her strong performance during a disappointing season in which she has scored 14.8 points per game and a conference best 12.9 rebounds per game are indicative of a team that may be better than its record.
“I was proud that we stepped up and did what we could do without a healthy roster. Faith Woodard did an excellent job of being aggressive and attacking,” said Head Coach Jim Lewis
When the Hoyas go to face Creighton, it will be at a critical juncture for the team’s hopes of making noise in the Big East Tournament later this season. Despite having a Big East record that is tied for last place in the conference, the Hoyas have played competitively against many of the more successful teams in the conference. Before losing to Marquette on Feb. 1, the Hoyas had lost in overtime to Marquette in January.
The Hoyas, in the middle of their conference schedule, will need to go on a hot streak to be able to find themselves in a strong position by the Big East tournament. After the face-off against Creighton on Feb. 5, the Hoyas will come home to face Xavier and Seton Hall, the two teams directly ahead of Georgetown in the conference standing.
The Hoyas will look to improve following their recent troubles as the Big East Tournament comes closer.
