On Friday night, the Georgetown Hoyas women’s basketball team suffered a closely contested 62-55 loss to the Providence Friars. Providence gained the lead midway through the second quarter and never relinquished it, despite the Hoyas’ best efforts to rally back. Graduate forward Brianna Jones paced all scorers with a game-high 24 points, while graduate center Anita Kelava picked up a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Four Friars finished in double figures, including junior guard Kyra Spiwak, who finished with a team-high 15 points, and sophomore forward Mary Baskerville, who achieved a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Junior center Breonna Mayfield got the start for the Hoyas (5-23, 2-15 Big East) in place of sophomore guard Nikola Kovacikova. To open the game, Spiwak drove the Friars (12-17, 3-14 Big East) offense, connecting on a jumper to start the action while also notching a pair of assists. Jones proved to be the early answer for the Hoyas, getting seven straight Georgetown points following a two-pointer from graduate guard Taylor Barnes. The Hoyas led 9-7 midway through the first quarter, but Providence closed on a 13-2 run to take a 20-11 lead, keyed by two 3-pointers from Spiwak and 5 points from sophomore forward Alyssa Geary.
The Hoyas showed their heart and grit opening the second quarter. After freshman guard Hevynne Bristow stretched the Friars’ lead to 22-11, Georgetown’s senior leaders stepped up to rally the Hoyas back. Once again, the Hoyas turned to Jones, who responded with seven straight points to close the gap to 4. Then, Kelava and sophomore guard Cassandra Gordon each connected on jump shots to tie the game halfway through the second quarter. Once again, Providence came back. A 14-4 run going into halftime put the Hoyas down 10, and four Friars scored in this run.
After halftime, it was difficult for the Hoyas to sustain runs, and the Friars responded to nearly every Georgetown basket. Providence’s lead grew to 15 points before Kelava and Barnes temporarily stopped the bleeding with a free throw and a 3-pointer. However, Providence continued their balanced attack, getting contributions from Spiwak, Bristow, and sophomore guard Kaela Webb. The Friars lead swelled to 20 points, capped off by a layup from Baskerville. From there, the Hoyas closed on a 15-2 run, but it was too little, too late, and Providence held on for the seven-point victory.
In a recurring theme this season for the Hoyas, they shot poorly from the field, converting just 22-of-65 field goal attempts (33.8 percent). Furthermore, they had a difficult time moving the ball around, notching just 7 assists over the course of the game while committing 13 turnovers. On the other hand, Webb and Geary combined for 9 assists between themselves and Providence had 17 as a team, allowing them to get higher quality shots despite their 18 turnovers.
The Hoyas close out the regular season on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. with a matchup against Creighton (17-10, 9-7 Big East). The game will be streamed on the Big East Digital Network. For continued coverage of women’s basketball and all Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter.
