On Tuesday, the Georgetown women’s basketball team advanced to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament quarterfinals with a 53-46 victory over Big East rivals Providence. The Hoyas (18-15, 9-9 Big East) were able to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Friars by 17 in the second half. Graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako led the way with a double-double, notching 20 points and 10 rebounds, while senior guard Dionna White tallied 19 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Senior guard Jovana Nogic scored 18 for PC (19-16, 8-10 Big East) in a losing effort. Georgetown took care of the ball throughout, committing just seven turnovers to Providence’s 15. This was Georgetown’s third win this season over the Friars, as the Blue & Gray swept the series during Big East play.
The first period was a back and forth battle, with neither team cementing a lead of more than four points. Freshman guard Nikola Kovacikova got the Hoyas started with a mid-range jumper, but Nogic hit two free throws after being fouled on the next possession. The squads remained within two points of each other until Providence opened up a 10-6 lead with layups from sophomore guard Chanell Williams and freshman forward Alyssa Geary. The Hoyas responded immediately, however, as senior guard Brianna Jones and Adomako nailed consecutive 3-pointers to squash the deficit. Freshman guard Kaela Webb hit a three of her own for Providence, but White made a free throw just before the end of the quarter to tie the game at 13.
In the second, the Friars hit their stride. Right out of the gates, two threes from Nogic and one from Webb gave Providence a quick 24-15 advantage. White responded with a trey of her own, but consecutive jumpers from Williams and Nogic put Providence up 28-18 before the half. The Friars did not have a huge quarter offensively, but they held the Hoyas to just two field goals. At the intermission, Nogic led all scorers with 10 points and had also grabbed four rebounds.
After the break, the Hoyas came out firing on all cylinders. Adomako and White each hit inside shots, and after Webb converted a layup, Adomako sunk another mid-range jumper to cut the deficit to six. Providence was unable to get inside against the Georgetown defense, and after two missed 3-pointers, White nailed from deep, forcing a timeout from Providence head coach Jim Crowley. Georgetown continued to dominate on both ends, forcing a turnover before Adomako hit one of two free throws and Kovacikova drained a three from the top of the key, giving the Hoyas their first lead since the first quarter. Nogic made a jumper, notching her first points of the second half and the Friars’ first in over five minutes, but White made her third triple of the night on the next possession, putting Georgetown up by two. Williams made a contested jumper to tie the score at 34 going into the final period, but the Hoyas had the momentum after outscoring Providence by 10 in the third quarter.
In the fourth, Georgetown jumped out to an early six-point lead thanks to buckets by Kovacikova and Adomako, but the Friars wouldn’t go quietly. The game was quickly tied once again after field goals by Nogic and freshman forward Mary Baskerville. With just over three minutes to go, White rattled off four consecutive points which were followed by a clutch sequence from junior forward Anita Kelava. Kelava was sent to the line to shoot free throws with the Hoyas up by two and 2:04 left on the clock, and the Croatian native sunk both. On the other side, she blocked senior guard Maddie Jolin’s layup attempt, leading to yet another layup from Adomako. Nogic hit a jumper shortly thereafter, but the Friars were forced to foul down four with 22 seconds remaining. White and Adomako combined to hit three of four from the line, sealing a Georgetown victory. Only seven of the Hoyas’ 35 second half points were not scored by the duo of White and Adomako. On the other end, Providence was ice cold from deep in the second half, missing all seven of their attempts from deep.
The Hoyas will take on the winner of the Virginia Tech (22-11, 6-10 ACC) and James Madison (27-5, 17-1 CAA) matchup, which begins on Thursday March 28 at 7:00 p.m. ET. For continuing coverage of the WNIT and all Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter.
