Georgetown women’s basketball (13-16, 6-14 BIG EAST) beat the Butler University Bulldogs (12-18, 6-14 BIG EAST) 62-58 in the first round of the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournament on Friday, Mar. 6. The Hoyas, who finished the season as the No. 8 seed in the BIG EAST, were behind the No. 9 seed Bulldogs for most of the first half, but they turned it around and secured a postseason victory thanks to a strong third quarter.
The Hoyas and Bulldogs traded buckets to start the game, leaving the score deadlocked at 7-7 midway through the first quarter. Georgetown struggled to find an offensive rhythm, Butler pulled away first, building a 17-11 lead that they took into the second quarter.
Defense allowed the Hoyas to get themselves back into the game, as they stifled Butler’s offense and prevented the Bulldogs from scoring in the first three minutes of the second quarter. Led by graduate guard Laila Jewett, Georgetown cut Butler’s lead to just one point. However, Butler pulled away again late in the second quarter, capped off by junior forward Caroline Dotsey’s buzzer-beating three-pointer that solidified the score at 30-23 heading into halftime.
The third quarter started much like the second, with Georgetown finding their feet and getting back into the game. The Hoyas cut Butler’s lead to just 34-32 thanks to a second-chance bucket from graduate forward Brianna Scott, forcing Butler to take a timeout with six minutes left in the quarter. The break did nothing to stop Georgetown’s momentum, though, and Scott picked up another putback layup to tie the score at 34.
The Hoyas were unstoppable on the offensive glass, and their rebounding dominance allowed them second-chance points that kept them in the game. By the end of the third quarter, Georgetown built a 44-42 lead.
In a tense start to the fourth quarter, the Hoyas maintained a small lead but never pulled away. Georgetown kept the defensive pressure up, and Butler couldn’t break through. The Hoyas led 58-55 with under a minute remaining, forcing the Bulldogs to start fouling. Jewett made four free throws, effectively sealing the game for the Hoyas, who emerged with a 62-58 victory. On Saturday, Mar. 7, the Hoyas will face the No. 1 University of Connecticut Huskies (31-0, 20-0 BIG EAST) in the second round of the BIG EAST Tournament, looking to pull off an improbable upset against the undefeated Huskies.
