It has often been said that the fiercest competitors are those with the shortest memories.
Throughout this season, first-year Head Coach Natasha Adair has challenged the Georgetown women’s basketball team (4-17, 2-7 in Big East) to fight through adversity and jostle for respect in one of most well-respected conferences in women’s college basketball.
On Sunday, the Hoyas fell to the No. 25 Seton Hall Pirates (19-2, 8-1 in Big East), who are first in the Big East, 85-99. The Hoyas, led by junior forward Dominique Vitalis and freshman sensation Dorothy Adomako, had the Pirates on their heels from the opening tip and carried a 40-31 advantage into the half.
The Hoyas did not fade in the second half, but Seton Hall kept within striking distance with a combination of streaky perimeter shooting and penetration from star guard Daisha Simmons.
Late in the second half as the Hoyas tried to preserve their lead, Adomako cut to the basket and was hacked by an opposing player. As the whistle blew, she controlled her body and sank a crucial layup. Hoya faithful erupted, Adomako excitedly pounded the floor, and the Hoyas were on the verge of their most crucial result of the season.
Adomako’s subsequent free throw put the Blue and Gray up by four points with less than a minute to play.
The Pirates answered with three straight baskets, including a layup to tie the game with 11.9 seconds to play. After a missed three point attempt, the game headed to overtime.
In the extra period, the Hoyas were unable to get vital stops and were outscored 17-3, falling by a final of 85-99.
Though her team was just seconds away from a season-defining upset, Coach Adair has kept her focus on the positive aspects of her team’s performance.
“I was very proud of my team tonight,” Adair said. “They played with heart, they played with toughness. They played with resilience, they played with fight. We always talk about playing for forty minutes, and tonight just happened to be 45.”
Though Adair downplays the fact that her team is young and considerably less experienced than the best teams in the Big East, it’s important to remember that this team still has much to learn. Their raw talent is evident, as they have proven the ability to compete with some of the best teams in college basketball, but only time will help the Hoyas grow into a team that can win close and contentious contests.
“I walk away from this team knowing that we’re still getting better and knowing that now we get to see every team in this league again,” Adair said. “This is a team that is not going to quit, this is a team that is going to stay hungry, this is a team that is going to keep fighting.”
Halfway through their Big East campaign, the Hoyas have nine games to turn things around before the conclusion of conference play. Though the odds are stacked against them, the Blue and Gray have their sights set on a Big East Tournament run. They’ve lost many battles, but they still have time to win the war.
The Hoyas will search for their first road win of the season when they travel to Chicago to challenge DePaul University (15-6, 7-2 Big East) on Friday at 8 p.m. They will then set their sights on the Marquette Golden Eagles (4-16, 0-9 Big East) in Wisconsin Sunday at noon.
