Georgetown women’s basketball was unable to overcome a sluggish start and strong 3-point shooting from the Davidson Wildcats, marking the Hoyas’ first loss of the season in a 70-55 defeat.

Georgetown (2-1) faced off against Davidson (2-2) in its third game of the season at McDonough Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 17, eager to secure a win on its home court and extend its undefeated start to the season. With both teams coming off of previous wins, including a monster 86-48 victory over Salem University by Georgetown on Friday, Nov. 12, the Hoyas and the Wildcats came in hungry to continue their winning streaks. 

Both squads were off to a sloppy start heading into the opening minutes of the match, each being handed a pair of traveling penalties and a total of four turnovers in the opening five minutes. Putting their name on the board first, however, was Davidson junior forward Adelaide Fuller, who drained a 3-pointer from outside the arc. 

Davidson capitalized on the early rocky start, knocking down a number of consecutive 3-pointers to put up a significant lead. Nearing the end of the first period, the Hoyas relentlessly searched for opportunities in their offense, yet failed to finish because of an inability to keep control of the ball’s possession. Thus, Davidson ended the first quarter with a 15-6 lead.

With the second period underway, Davidson continued to dominate Georgetown and overwhelm the Hoyas on offense. Beautiful shots from outside the 3-point mark increased Georgetown’s desperation to cut at Davidson’s lead. Quality pressure and hustle from Georgetown sophomore guard Kelsey Ransom instigated a fire under the Hoyas’ offense late into the second period — amid the score, the final minutes of the first half were a battle as Georgetown denied minimal chances to shoot. Davidson opened up an 18-point lead at halftime. 

Precision was a success for Davidson thus far. Shooting over 50% on the floor against Georgetown, the Wildcats came out of the first half leading 37-19. Georgetown fans didn’t lose hope just yet, however. Continuing to eagerly cut into the deficit, senior forward Jillian Archer put the Hoyas on the board once again with a beautiful basket from the 3-point line near the third period’s close. Georgetown was able to tighten the game after outsourcing Davidson 17-12 in the third quarter, yet the Wildcats still led 49-36.

Pushing the momentum of the game with a number of missed baskets off the backboard, Davidson refused to give up its lead, even as Georgetown kept pouncing on many of the Wildcats’ missed opportunities. While Wildcat offensive threats like guard Chloe Welch continued to relentlessly find their way to the basket, the ball was more frequently in Georgetown’s court than earlier in play. First-year forward Brianna Scott came off the bench to secure the Hoyas’ final pair of points, ending the match at a 15-point deficit. 

While Davidson held its lead until the final minutes, the Hoyas displayed much more composure and grit heading into the second half. Even though the team’s early winning streak was cut short, Georgetown still has plenty of time to recover from its loss and capitalize on its missed opportunities later in the season.

Despite the loss, the Hoyas showed significant achievements. Ransom scored 13 points, marking a season high. The Hoyas made 16 of their 19 free throws, with the .842 free-throw percentage Georgetown’s highest through its three games. However, the team struggled to rebound defensively, grabbing just 19 boards after recording 53 rebounds in its win over Salem. Junior forward Graceann Bennett struggled in the loss, logging a season-low six points.

The Hoyas will pick up where they left off in the McDonough Arena this Sunday, Nov. 21, at 2:00 p.m. against Columbia University (3-0).