For the Georgetown women’s basketball team (4-26, 2-16 Big East), the postseason is a new season.
“It’s a great opportunity for our student athletes, because at this point there are still so many things, even in March, that I feel like we can do that we haven’t shown consistently. It’s the things we preach: consistency, effort, toughness, defense, focus,” Head Coach Natasha Adair said.
This week saw the Hoyas fall to Creighton (17-12, 10-8 Big East) and then to Providence (6-23, 3-15 Big East) as they finished out their regular season schedule at the bottom of the Big East standings. The team faces an uphill battle, heading into the tournament as the No. 10 seed. But that may turn out to be a blessing for the young squad, which has no seniors.
“At this point, what do we have to lose? Honestly, I don’t think [we’re] nervous anymore. If this was early on, maybe [we would be],” Adair said. “This is a great opportunity for all the jitters to have come and gone.”
In a season which saw them win only two games in conference play, the Hoyas are looking to the Big East Tournament as a chance to build momentum for next year, or even take a few teams by surprise with a run in this year’s tournament. The team does not lack belief, and knows it has one last chance to prove itself this season.
“We know what we can bring to the table. We know if we go in there and do what we do best we’re going to get it done….Coach came in today with the mindset that we’re going to run the Big East [Tournament],” junior forward Brittany Horne said.
The Hoyas’ first round opponent will be Xavier (16-13, 8-10 Big East), a team that beat Georgetown twice this year. But with more experience and a renewed focus, the Hoyas feel they can change the outcome this time around.
“If we go up there with defense on our minds, and we focus and finish the plays that we can control, I think we’ll be just fine,” Adair said. “You’ve got to go to Chicago with defense on your mind.”
There is plenty of hope for the future. Freshman guard Dorothy Adomako earned Big East Freshman of the Year honors this past week. She also received an honorable mention nod for the All-Big East team and was unanimously selected for the Big East All-Freshman Team.
“It’s a humbling award. I couldn’t get it without my parents, and my coaches, of course, and my teammates. I’m just very humbled by it and I need to keep working and going into this weekend playing hard,” Adomako said.
Her coach had plenty of praise for the freshman star, who led the team with 12.9 points per game on the season.
“It’s a great award for Dorothy, but it’s a program award, it’s a university award. It feels good, to come in here and know that she accomplished such an amazing honor. She’s a winner,” Coach Adair said.
Adomako’s teammates have also been impressed by the talent they have seen in the freshman.
“Dorothy is a phenomenal player. When she has an aggressive mentality, no one is stopping her,” Horne said.
Adair added further to Horne’s sentiment. “There’s no top to her ceiling. She can go as high as she wants.”
For now, the Hoyas will travel to Illinois to take the floor against Xavier on Saturday for their first round matchup.
