The Georgetown University women’s basketball team won their sixth game in a row with a decisive 61-40 victory over a tough Colgate side on Dec. 5 in a nonconference battle.
Although Georgetown (10-2) got off to a slow start with several turnovers in the first quarter, the Hoyas found their stride and confidently marched to victory, holding the Raiders (7-4) to single digits in each of the following quarters.
Georgetown struggled early on, failing to hit shots and committing multiple preventable turnovers. After two early Hoya baskets by graduate forward Graceann Bennett, the Raiders went on an 8-0 scoring run. Hoping to stop Colgate’s momentum, Interim Head Coach Darnell Haney called a timeout with 5:20 to play in the first quarter.
After the timeout, Georgetown began to find its groove. Right out of the timeout, senior guard Kelsey Ransom nailed a floater and graduate guard Alex Cowan followed with a 3-point jumper. These two baskets sparked a 12-2 run by the Hoyas, eventually sealing the quarter with a slim 16-15 Georgetown lead.
Both teams struggled to maintain possession as a result of their respective early turnovers. Georgetown committed 6 to Colgate’s 5, allowing the Raiders to stay in the game throughout the first ten minutes.
The second quarter started similarly to the first — evenly-balanced and low-scoring. With 6:28 left in the quarter, Ransom recorded her 28th steal of the season, picking Colgate guard Alexa Brodie’s pocket and charging to the basket for a reverse layup. This sparked a 19-4 Hoya run, putting Georgetown up 38-23 at the half.
Georgetown proved to be dominant both from outside the arc and within the interior. The Hoyas’ ability to pull away on the scoreboard can be attributed to Haney’s ability to find quality scoring at both ends of the Hoyas’ roster. Off the bench, junior forward Brianna Scott banked in two 3’s in the second quarter, on her way to an impressive 15-point first half.
The next two quarters were defined by the Raiders’ inability to score and the Hoyas’ relentless pressure. With 6:40 left in the third quarter, Cowan threw a sharp pass to Ransom, who drove to the basket for a quick layup. Following this play, the Hoyas went on a 9-0 scoring run, leaving the score at 49-27 with a couple minutes left in the third quarter.
The Raiders never stopped fighting, taking shot after shot in an attempt to reduce the deficit. With 1:40 left in the quarter, Colgate guard Madison Schiller missed a 3-point jumper; however, guard Christina Midgette maintained the offensive pressure, grabbing the offensive rebound and scoring the basket. The Hoyas quickly answered on the next play, with Scott forcing her way to the hoop and making the layup.
The fourth quarter was all Georgetown. The Raiders struggled to score, a testament to the strength of the Hoyas’ defense. Georgetown currently boasts the second-best scoring defense at the Division I level. Scott led the way, recording two blocks in the fourth quarter alone.
With 1:22 to go, sophomore guard Modesti McConnell recorded a steal and drove to the basket. McConnell could not score the layup, but senior forward Jada Claude was waiting for the rebound, making the follow-up and earning an and-1. The basket and subsequent free throw moved the score to 61-36.
The win saw impressive contributions from a diverse cast of players, including Scott’s 21-point, 8-rebound stellar performance. Despite a relatively slow start, Kelsey Ransom once again played magnificently, scoring 18 and tallying 3 steals. The Hoyas made seven 3-pointers, almost double their average on the season, but, yet again, Georgetown’s defense led the team to victory The Hoyas held Colgate to a mere 32% field goal percentage, only allowing 25 total points in the last three quarters of the game.
Haney told Georgetown Athletics that the depth of the roster fueled the victory.
“We just got a lot of contributions from a lot of people today and that’s just who we are,” Haney said. “We do this thing as a team and we’re going to get different contributions from different people each night. We know we have a lot of people that can help us win games.”
Georgetown continued its stellar winning streak with a commanding 60-44 win over Wake Forest (4-8). Then, the Hoyas fell to Seton Hall (9-4) after leading by as many as 21 points early on to begin their Big East conference schedule before notching a comeback 55-57 win to close the year against Kennesaw State (4-8).
