The Georgetown Hoyas (10-19, 4-16), fell to the UConn Huskies (23-5, 17-1) in their quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, ending their time in the Big East Tournament and their season.
Though the opening tip was controlled by the Huskies, they were called for a travel on their first possession, giving the ball to Georgetown. Hoyas’ freshman Ariel Jenkins scored the opening points of the game with just under eight minutes left in the quarter, giving Georgetown a short-lived lead. However, with sophomore standout Kelsey Ransom out with an ankle injury sustained in yesterday’s game against Providence, the Hoyas struggled to make plays. Led by senior guard Christyn Williams, who shot 5/5 from the field in the first quarter, the Huskies managed to overtake Georgetown quickly, taking a 22-6 lead into the second quarter.
The troubles continued for Georgetown in the second quarter. In no small part due to their excellent ball movement, UConn went on a 26-1 scoring run, with Georgetown’s sole point scored during that time coming from a free throw made by junior forward GraceAnn Bennett. The Hoyas did not score again until the tail end of the half, when senior Jillian Archer got the putback off an offensive rebound. With that, the Hoyas had nine points, and the game went to halftime with a score of 43-9.
In the second half, the Hoyas were able to find a bit more of an offensive rhythm, with graduate transfer Mary Clougherty hitting a handful of shots to become the first Hoya in double figures. However, the UConn Huskies still managed to remain ahead of Georgetown by a significant margin. Using their size advantage in the post and excellent three point shooting by freshman guard Azzi Fudd and sophomore Paige Bueckers, UConn had a 57-17 lead with three minutes left in the third.
The fourth quarter followed along the same lines as the rest of the game, with UConn maintaining a sizable lead. In the last minute of the game, Natalie Jasper, a freshman walk-on for the Hoyas, made a three-point jumper that had the bench on their feet. It was the last basket for Georgetown, who lost the game 84-38.
Though the coronavirus pandemic granted all of the players an extra year of eligibility, it has not been determined which players will return next year and who will turn that extra year down. For six of the team’s 15 players, this game against UConn might have been their last in a Georgetown uniform.
Only time will tell who returns next season, and what that season will bring. For continued coverage of the women’s basketball team and all Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter.
