It was the worst of times, and then it was the best of times. Last night, the Georgetown women’s basketball team (13-9, 6-6 Big East) rallied from as much as 17 points down against the Marquette Golden Eagles (11-12, 6-6 Big East) to win by a score of 75-72 in McDonough Arena. The Hoyas were without star-player sophomore guard Dorothy Adomako, who was ruled out due to illness.
The pivotal win bumps Georgetown up to sixth in the Big East standings, while Marquette falls to eighth.
Sports Information
But that pivotal win looked like a missed opportunity halfway through Friday night’s game. As the second quarter came to a close, the Hoyas were facing a serious deficit, and it seemed as if Georgetown had no defensive answer to the high-scoring Marquette offense. With just under two minutes left, Marquette was dominating on all fronts, leading the Blue and Gray by a score of 46-29. Two freshman led the way for the Golden Eagles, as guards Natisha Hiedeman and Allazia Blockton accounted for 11 and 10 points respectively, with Hiedeman going three of four from three point range. Marquette shot a cool 52.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the three point line in the first half, while Georgetown only converted on 38.9 percent of their shots, and a dismal 16.7 percent of their three-point attempts. All signs pointed to a disappointing loss for the Hoyas.
In the second half, however, the Blue and Gray looked like a different team. The first major change for Georgetown was switching from man-to-man defense to zone.
“We were man in the first half,” head coach Natasha Adair explained. “We went zone in the second. That was the change. We were really trying to clog up the paint.”
Clogging up the paint certainly worked for the Hoyas. In a reversal of roles, Marquette shot 22.2 percent from the field and a shocking 10 percent from three-point range in the second half. In turn, Georgetown shot 50 percent from the field and from three-point range (although the Hoyas only took two threes the entire second half). By the end of the third quarter, Marquette only led Georgetown by a score of 57-54.
However, that 57-54 scoreline at the end of the third quarter almost wasn’t the case. With just over a minute to play in the quarter, Marquette was in control with a 57-51 lead. The Blue and Gray were scrambling for a response, and the shot clock was running out. But senior forward Logan Battle seemed unfazed by the dwindling clock. She pulled up from behind the line and sunk the only three that Georgetown would hit the whole second half, making it a one-possession game.
“I didn’t have a lane to the basket, and the clock was running down,” Battle said. “I saw that she wasn’t all the way up on me, so I just shot it. It was a good energy booster for our team.”
From that point on, the Hoyas were the dominant force on the court. Freshman guard Dionna White, who remained quiet for most of the game, contributed 11 points in the fourth quarter, two of which were foul shots with 10 seconds left that sealed the victory for Georgetown. White finished the night with a near triple-double, with 15 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. She also accounted for five important steals throughout the game.
Georgetown also saw great performances from both starters and players coming off the bench. Both Junior forward Faith Woodard and sophomore center Yazmine Belk, who only played 24 minutes, recorded double-doubles. Woodard had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Belk had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Last night’s game marked the first time two Hoyas have recorded double-doubles in the same game since Jan. 4, 2015 against DePaul.
Production from numerous players has been a staple for the Blue and Gray this year. Depth was especially important last night with the absence of Adomako.
“I don’t think any team in this league has the depth that we do,” Adair said. “We can go 12 deep. On any given night, it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.”
Georgetown has a long road until the end of the season, and they face a tough Depaul team (18-7, 10-2 Big East) tomorrow. But for now, the Hoyas are soaking in the victory.
“Tomorrow, we’ll talk about Depaul,” Adair said. “But tonight, they’ve earned this, and I’m so proud of them.”
Tip-off is scheduled for noon tomorrow in McDonough Arena and will be broadcast live on the Big East Digital Network.
