The Georgetown University women’s basketball team fell 73-51 to Marquette in Milwaukee Friday, Jan. 24 in another loss resulting from second-half struggles. On Sunday, Jan. 26, the Hoyas’ woes continued with a 92-66 defeat to DePaul to mark their seventh consecutive loss and continue their winless start to 2020.  

Its matchup against the Golden Eagles caused the Blue and Gray to fall to 4-15 on the season and 1-7 in Big East play. Marquette, on the other hand, improved to 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the conference. 

The game started with promise for the Hoyas as the Golden Eagles struggled to convert offensively, shooting just 3-for-13 from the field in the first quarter. The Blue and Gray had a stronger showing from the floor, sinking 7 of its 17 attempts from the field in the first. 

A 9-2 run by Georgetown beginning in the second minute of play propelled the Hoyas to a five-point advantage early in the game. The Blue and Gray extended its lead to double digits later in the quarter behind back-to-back buckets by sophomore guard Nikola Kovacikova to bring the score to 16-6 with 3:30 remaining. 

Marquette quickly responded to Georgetown’s efforts, however, and closed out the quarter with seven unanswered points.

The Golden Eagles managed to stay close by drawing fouls and making the Hoyas pay at the line. Marquette went 6-6 on free throws in the first quarter while Georgetown did not go to the line once. Both teams struggled offensively, resulting in a low-scoring first quarter, with the Hoyas ultimately finishing the period with a 16-13 lead. 

In the second quarter, the Golden Eagles were able to gain more offensive momentum as they shot 50% from the field, converting on 9 of their 18 shots. The Hoyas fell short of the Golden Eagles, managing to hit just 31.3% of their attempts from the floor. 

The teams began the second with even play, exchanging baskets as Georgetown held on to a single-digit advantage until the fourth minute when two sunk free throws by Marquette put the Golden Eagles up by one. The free throws marked the beginning of a pivotal 8-0 run by Marquette, led by back-to-back three-pointers from guard Isabelle Spingola with 4:53 remaining. From that point on, Georgetown was unable to come within 4 points of Marquette’s lead and the quarter ended with the Golden Eagles on top 37-28. 

The third quarter proved to be more competitive than the second. The teams’ performances were well-matched as both teams tallied 18 points and shot roughly 50% from the floor. Georgetown, however, was unable to make a dent in the nine-point deficit, ending the quarter trailing 55-46.

The game was lost for the Hoyas in the final quarter. After opening the quarter with seven unanswered points, Marquette finished the game on an 11-2 run to cap off a 22-point victory. The Golden Eagles scored 18 points in the quarter while the Hoyas only managed five. Georgetown’s offense faltered from the field, shooting 11.1% and failing to score any three-pointers in the last quarter. Marquette, on the other hand, shot 53.33% and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Committing fouls also put the Hoyas in hot water, as Marquette scored 90.9% from the free-throw line.

While the Hoyas suffered offensively with regard to field goals — only shooting 32.8% overall compared to Marquette’s 44.3% — the team’s turnovers also proved to be a weakness, conceding 16 points to the Golden Eagles on 20 turnovers.  

While Marquette had one player with 24 points and another with 17, the Hoyas’ top scorer, senior guard Marvellous Osagie-Erese, was the only Hoya to earn double digits with 10 points on the day. Sophomore forward Shanniah Wright supported Osagie-Erese’s effort with nine points and eight rebounds off the bench while senior forward Anita Kelava also contributed six points and 12 rebounds. 

Georgetown’s hopes of turning its road trip around were quickly stifled by a powerful DePaul (19-2, 9-0 Big East) offense in Chicago on Sunday. The Blue and Gray tallied the first bucket of the game but would not take hold of a lead for the remainder of the game. 

The Hoyas brought the score to seven apiece behind a three-pointer from graduate student Taylor Barnes before conceding thirteen unanswered points to the Blue Demons to trail 31-15 at the end of the opening quarter.

Georgetown saw little success in cutting the deficit in the second, again failing to contain the DePaul offense who closed out the half on an 8-2 run to earn a 23-point advantage at 50-23. 

The Blue Demons continued their dominance in the second half, controlling play from behind the three-point line. Sinking six of its 11 attempts from behind the arc, DePaul dominated a Georgetown offense that shot just 2-for-7 from deep in the third to bring the score to 80-50. 

The final quarter would prove to be the Hoyas’ most lucrative, with the Blue and Gray putting away four three-pointers and outscoring the Blue Demons 16-12 in the final 10 minutes. The efforts ultimately fell short, however, with DePaul claiming the 26 point victory.

On the day, the Hoyas shot 38.5% from the field compared to the Blue Demon’s 47.1%. DePaul also posted six players in double digits while graduate student guard Brianna Jones, Barnes, and Kelava recorded 10 points each for Georgetown. 

The Hoyas, who currently sit in 9th place in the Big East, will round out the month with a conference matchup against Seton Hall Jan. 31 at McDonough Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.