The Georgetown women’s basketball team (19-16, 9-9 Big East) fell to the James Madison Dukes (29-5, 17-1 CAA), 54-44, on Sunday in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals in Harrisonburg, VA. The Hoyas were led by graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako and senior guard Dionna White with 16 and 11 points respectively, while Dukes junior guards Jackie Benitez and Kamiah Smalls scored 14 and 13 points each.
The Hoyas got off to a slow start, scoring only two points in the first six minutes and allowing the Dukes to pull ahead 12-2 on a pair of 3-pointers from Smalls and Benitez. However, the Hoyas stepped up their defense and shut down JMU for the last four minutes of the first quarter. In addition, Georgetown was able to pick up their offense, going on a 8-0 run with a jumper by junior forward Anita Kelava and two 3-pointers from freshman guard Nikola Kovacikova.
The Hoyas tied the game early in the second quarter with an Adomako jumper and a couple of solid plays on defense. However, JMU would take off again after a seven-minute scoring drought with 11 consecutive points, including another three from Benitez and a pair of baskets from junior center Kayla Cooper-Williams, making it a 23-12 game. Before halftime, Georgetown cut into the lead with another Adomako basket and a jumper from sophomore forward Tatiana Thompson that left the Hoyas down by eight at halftime, 25-17.
Both offenses started the second half ice cold, with JMU scoring only two free throws in the first four minutes of the quarter, and the Hoyas going scoreless. However, both teams would improve, combining for 30 points in the remainder of the quarter. White and Adomako had six and eight point in the quarter respectively, helping Georgetown come back as they finished the quarter down four. Georgetown scored 18 points in the last six minutes of the third, having scored only 17 before that point.
The start of the fourth quarter, however, sealed the game for JMU, who went on a 15-1 run and ended the Hoyas’ hopes. Three 3-pointers coming from Smalls, Benitez and freshman guard Madison Green, a pair of layups from Cooper-Williams, and a fast break basket by Green were too much for Georgetown to overcome. After that, the Hoyas tried to get back in it with two consecutive baskets from Adomako and Smith, making it 54-40 with 4:43 left, but JMU’s defense tightened, only allowing two more baskets until the end of the game, which led to the final score of 54-44 for the Dukes.
JMU will face Northwestern in the WNIT semifinals next Wednesday, while the season ends here for the Georgetown Hoyas after an 8-2 finish to the season, falling only to Marquette (27-8, 15-3 Big East) in the Big East Tournament semifinals and to JMU today. The Hoyas’ season has been spectacular, showing great improvement as the games passed and advancing deep into postseason play. Follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter for updates and coverage of all spring sports at Georgetown.
