The Georgetown women’s basketball team (5-5, Big East) opens conference play at Providence (7-5, Big East) in its bid to break .500 after two straight seasons with a 9-9 mark in the Big East.
The Hoyas are led by the scoring trio of junior guard Dionna White, senior guard Mikayla Venson, and senior forward Cynthia Petke, the three players that average double-digit points. Petke also averages a double-double with 10.8 rebounds per game through non-conference play.
In its most recent matchup, Georgetown downed VCU (2-8, Atlantic 10) behind a combined 40 points from White and Venson, with Venson especially efficient, shooting 70 percent from the field and 75 percent from beyond the arc. Head coach James Howard’s starters, who all played at least 33 minutes, have had a full week since that game, ample time to rest before the conference opener. This is vital because of Georgetown’s desire to run in transition, as well as Howard’s preference to stick to a seven-player rotation, even then using his two substitutes sparingly.
The Friars, meanwhile, come off a 63-55 win over Boston College (5-7, ACC), spurred by a third quarter in which the Friars dominated, outscoring the Eagles 21-6 in the frame. Junior guard Jovana Nogic scored 18 points on the day, with eight of them coming from the free throw line and six more from beyond the arc. Nogic has driven the Providence offense all season, averaging 19.3 points for her team. Junior guard Maddie Jolin is the other Friar that averages double figures, and she, along with junior guard Clara Che, provide a danger from beyond the arc, shooting 42.9 and 45.5 percent from deep, respectively.
The Hoyas have yet to win more than two games in a row this year and will look to build momentum at the start of their grueling conference schedule. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET in Providence, Rhode Island, and the game can be streamed on the Big East Digital Network. Follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter for updates and breaking news.
