Coming off a momentous home win against then-No. 11 Rutgers, the Georgetown women’s basketball team will pack its bags and head to Cincinnati to battle the Bearcats (11-11, 2-7 Big East) this Saturday.

The No. 17 Hoyas (17-5, 6-3 Big East) routed the Scarlet Knights, 54-36, last weekend in what Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy called Georgetown’s second-best defensive performance of the season, topped only by a win over Miami in December in which the Hoyas held the then-No.7 Hurricanes to 46 points.

The contest included standout showings from senior forward Tia Magee, who scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and senior guard Rubylee Wright, whose five assists gave her sole possession of Georgetown’s all-time assist record at 472. After the game, Wright said the team’s performance proved critics wrong.

“This win just shows how good we are as a team,” Wright said. “Yes, we’re a little up-and-down, but overall we are just as good as anybody out there.”

The win certainly brought the Blue and Gray back into the discussion of Big East contenders, and a win over Cincinnati would solidify a spot in that conversation. The biggest concern is that the evening could turn into a trap game if the Hoyas look past the Bearcats to their upcoming matchup with perennial championship contender Connecticut.

In order to stay focused, the Hoyas must stick to the defensive-oriented game plan that helped them overcome a higher-ranked Rutgers team. Georgetown forced 22 turnovers for 22 points against Rutgers and completely shut down the Scarlet Knights’ impressive frontcourt. The full-court press, a hallmark of Williams-Flournoy’s coaching strategy, was particularly effective against Rutgers.

“We really want to, when we press, to have the team get to at least 15 on the shot clock or under,” Williams-Flournoy said. “It gives us an opportunity to not to have to play defense as long in the half-court. We don’t want to get pounded inside, so the less time we have to play defense in the half-court, it gives us a better opportunity to defend.”

Indeed, the press will be crucial against the Bearcats’ dangerous backcourt, which includes junior guard Dayeesha Hollins and senior guard Bjonee Reaves. Hollins and Reaves lead the team in scoring (at 14.7 and 12.7 points per game, respectively), assists and minutes per game, so the Hoyas should expect to see a lot of these two players on Saturday. No other Bearcat averages over 8.5 points per game, so shutting down Hollins and Reaves will be the key to the game.

The Hoyas’ offense will also have to be on its toes, as Hollins and Reaves lead a Cincinnati team that averages 9 steals per game. Wright’s record-setting play against Rutgers set the tempo for the game because she consistently found the open shooter and created good ball movement on the offensive end. The veteran point guard will have to be more cautious against a Cincinnati team that likes to apply the pressure on all parts of the court.

Lastly, look for guard Sugar Rodgers to have a bounce-back performance. Although the star junior scored 19 points against Rutgers, she shot an abysmal 5-of-22 from the field. Expect Rodgers to have a bit of a chip on her shoulder and come out firing on all cylinders.

If they can avoid looking at the Bearcats’ two Big East wins and take this game seriously, the Hoyas may be in store for a solid victory this Saturday.

Tipoff is at 2 p.m. at Fifth Third Arena.