The Georgetown women’s basketball team (1-2, 1-2 Big East) was trounced by Butler (1-7, 1-6 Big East) 58-40 Wednesday afternoon in Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs exacted revenge on their conference foes after a 56-45 New Years’ Eve loss to the Hoyas when Butler had only seven available players. The Bulldogs displayed a balanced attack led by graduate student guard Genesis Parker, who scored 15 points, and junior guard Okako Adika, who registered 13 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Graduate student guard Taylor Baur was the Hoyas’ top performer, scoring an efficient 12 points to go with 11 rebounds.
The Butler first-quarter onslaught was swift, as two Parker threes coupled with Georgetown’s 0-7 start from the field prompted a Hoyas timeout 4:12 into the game. GU’s problems were not for lack of opportunity, especially in the opening frame. Georgetown actually took seven more shots than Butler in the first half thanks to eight offensive rebounds, but continually opted for three-point tries while the Bulldogs employed a more diversified attack. At the end of the period, the Hoyas were 2-22 from the field and trailed 19-5.
“We need to try and get [the forwards] involved more,” Coach James Howard said. “I saw no movement. I saw young kids trying to make plays on their own.”
Freshman guard Kelsey Ransom, one of Howard’s standout performers to this point, opened the second quarter by converting two difficult drives to the lane, drawing a foul on the former. However, any momentum that could’ve been created vanished with another 0-5 team shooting stretch during which turnovers started to pile up. Freshman guard Yasmin Ott, who had looked extremely impressive with 15.5 points per game on 66.7% shooting through two games, had a trying contest in her role of primary shot-creator. Ott converted 1-of-8 from the field in the first half. Meanwhile, the Butler duo of Adika and senior guard Upe Atosu stuffed the stat sheet, combining for eight rebounds while Adika matched Atosu’s three steals with three assists on the other end.
“These freshmen, they’re going to have days where they’re frustrated,” Howard noted. “Butler did a great job on Yaz and Kesley, and that steamrolled us all the way down.”
Ultimately, Georgetown trailed 31-15 at the break in an altogether sobering half. The Hoyas were 2-16 from beyond the arc, with both of those makes coming via Milan Bolden-Morris, a graduate student guard who acquitted herself well in her first game action of the season.
In the second half, Butler stayed humming on cruise control as they wrapped up their first win of the season. That had to be quite the relief for seventh-year head coach Kurt Godlevske, who had to run his seven-woman rotation ragged in the Bulldogs’ first meeting against Georgetown. On an impressive possession, all five Butler players whipped the ball around the three-point arc before a high-percentage layup chance opened up underneath. Despite some persistent shooting woes, give credit to the Hoyas for their energy and drive throughout. The visitors’ bench stayed engaged and fiery during a third quarter in which GU pulled down five more offensive rebounds and grabbed three steals.
Meanwhile, Howard got to see more from players like Baur, who had averaged 19 minutes in the two opening games. Making the most of her opportunity, Baur was a fixture in and around the key in the second half, punching in ten points and four boards. The game ended 58-40, with Georgetown unfortunately committing 19 turnovers against six assists. On the other end, Butler assisted on two-thirds of their makes.
“This was the first time [Taylor’s] really touched the ball offensively,” Howard said. “She was rebounding, she was defending, she’s brought that effort every game. You know she’s going to give you everything she has.”
The Hoyas return to action on Saturday afternoon against #20 DePaul (6-3, 3-1 Big East), who previously bested GU 72-54 on Dec. 19. The game is slated to tip off at 2 PM ET at McDonough Arena. Live stats are available at guhoyas.com, with a stream on FloHoops. Follow @GUVoiceSports for coverage and analysis of the women’s basketball seasons and all winter sports on the Hilltop.
