The Georgetown women’s basketball team (15-14, 9-9 Big East) went on the road to secure their fourth straight win and the No. 4 seed in the Big East Tournament on Sunday, edging Xavier (11-18, 2-16 Big East), 67-64. After a slow first half that featured only 21 points for Georgetown and one more for the hosts, both offenses came alive in the second half. Senior guard Dionna White scored 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Hoyas, while graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako recorded 17 points, 14 boards, and three blocks and steals apiece. Sophomore guard Princess Dunham led the way for the Musketeers, scoring a career-high 21 and adding eight rebounds.
It was the hosts who started out on the front foot in Cincinnati, as the last-place Musketeers scored the game’s first seven points capped by a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Aaliyah Dunham. Stewart got her day started with eight points in the first as the Hoyas struggled from the field, going 1-for-12. Junior guard Morgan Smith had the Hoyas’ lone field goal in the first quarter and added four free throws as the frame ended 15-8 in favor of Xavier.
It was Xavier’s turn to go cold from the field when the second quarter began, as Georgetown narrowed the deficit to 18-15 by the media timeout. Two late baskets from White brought the Hoyas within one, 22-21, at the halftime intermission. After putting up 82 and 72 in their last two matchups against St. John’s (14-15, 7-11, Big East) and Seton Hall (15-14, 7-11 Big East), the Hoyas’ offensive woes meant they would have to earn their season sweep of the Musketeers.
As they have time and time again this season, the Hoyas turned to their two veteran scorers when they needed baskets down the stretch. Adomako’s layup and three put the Blue and Gray quickly ahead by four after the first two possessions of the third. Then, ine straight from White stretched the Hoya lead to 35-28. he lead would swell to 40-30 with 3:41 remaining. Xavier would find their rhythm offensively from there, however, going on a 10-4 run to close the period, culminated by a momentum-swinging half court buzzer beater from junior guard Na’Teshia Owens. The Hoyas went 9-of-13 from the field in the third but 10 more points from Stewart kept the hosts neck and neck.
A fast start to the fourth saw the Musketeers respond to graduate student guard Mikayla Venson’s three that opened the quarter with a rapid 9-3 run. A pair of Dunham free throws with 2:48 remaining gave Xavier their first lead of the second half at 54-53. Adomako and White again got back to the rim to restore the Hoya advantage, but a tying corner three from the hosts with a minute remaining forced a timeout from Georgetown head coach James Howard. White would get to the line and sink both free throws on the ensuing possession, but Xavier responded with an offensive rebound that led to another triple. Meanwhile, Adomako got fouled again going to the rim and hit two more clutch free throws, while the Musketeers could not convert their layup opportunity at the other end. Free throws from White and Venson made the final 67-64.
Though the Hoyas dominated the glass 48-30 and outscored the Muskies on second-chance opportunities 18-7, the hosts’ 11 3-pointers made the game a tight one throughout.
Georgetown has now earned a bye in the Big East Tournament and won’t return to action until their matchup against Villanova (18-11, 9-9 Big East) next Sunday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The Wildcats remain the Hoyas’ most recent loss when they came out on the winning end of a 91-43 drubbing in Philadelphia on Feb. 16. The game is set to tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 2 with live stats available at guhoyas.com. Follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter for coverage of all winter sports at Georgetown.
