The Georgetown Hoyas women’s basketball team (3-1, Big East) will return home to McDonough Arena on Monday to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers (2-2, ACC). The Hoyas are looking to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season at James Madison (3-0, CAA) on Friday. The Dukes took the game 69-57. Meanwhile, the Panthers played on Friday as well, taking a 65-48 victory at home against Cincinnati (3-2, AAC). Georgetown and Pittsburgh last played in the 2012-13 season, Pitt’s last year in the Big East, with the Hoyas taking a 72-70 win.
On Friday, the Hoyas were doomed by their struggles on the boards. The Dukes outrebounded Georgetown, 47-37, and grabbed 21 offensive boards. This proved detrimental to the Hoyas’ effort, as James Madison scored 14 second-chance points. In addition, Georgetown committed 14 turnovers, including three from junior guard Morgan Smith. The main bright spot for the Hoyas was senior guard Dionna White, who scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds. The 5-foot-5 Baltimore native has continued her rebounding excellence from seasons past, averaging seven rebounds per game to lead the team. Senior guard Mikayla Venson also had a solid all-around game, scoring 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists. However, Venson made just four of 14 shot attempts.
Redshirt senior guard Aysia Bugg is coming off a strong performance for the Panthers. Against Cincinnati, she scored 23 points with four assists. Though sophomore center Cara Judkins scored just four points, she grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, helping the Panthers dominate the boards. Pittsburgh outrebounded the Bearcats 48-31. The Pittsburgh defense suffocated Cincinnati all game long, allowing 11 or fewer points in three of four quarters. They were aided by a very poor showing from Cincinnati at the charity stripe; the Bearcats made just eight of 17 attempts, good for a 47.1% free-throw percentage.
On Monday, Georgetown will need to look out for Judkins, the top rebounder for Pitt. Otherwise, they could suffer the same fate they did against James Madison. The Hoyas will need players like 6-foot-1 graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako and 6-foot-3 junior forward Anita Kelava to step up on the boards. Adomako grabbed a decent five rebounds on Friday, while Kelava was unable to record any. Better shot selection will also be essential for the Hoyas, who shot just 33 percent on Friday.
Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. ET. Follow @GUVoiceSports for game day updates and continuing coverage of Georgetown basketball.
