The Georgetown women’s basketball team knew exactly how good George Washington was before Wednesday’s game began. They knew that George Washington was ranked No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll and came within eight points of beating No. 9 North Carolina State two weeks ago. They knew that they hadn’t beaten the Colonials at the Smith Center since 1992.
But instead of letting it intimidate them, the Hoyas (5-1) used it to their advantage, playing the most offensively aggressive game of the season on their way to a 78-57 win.
Sophomore forward Rebekkah Brunson scored a career-best 29 points on 19-for-20 shooting from the free throw line. Freshman point guard Mary Lisicky also scored a career-best 21, aided by a 5-for-8 three-point shooting performance.
“We were more aggressive tonight. We were a little bit more fired up, and if you beat a quality team, a team that’s been ranked,” Head Coach Pat Knapp said, “it’s a good win.”
The Colonials dug themselves into a hole they couldn’t get out of in the first half with 23 percent shooting from the field and 14 team fouls. The Hoyas took advantage of the foul line opportunities, making 18 of 21.
The Hoyas’ first-half play was also marked by an aggressive fast-breaking style of play. Lisicky continuously pushed the ball down the court, getting it to Brunson and junior forward Nok Duany for easy layups. The stunned Colonials let the Hoyas get out to an eight-point lead in the first three minutes of the matchup.
The referees’ whistles blew too often to let the Colonials get back in the game. Every player had at least one foul, and three players had three fouls. The Hoyas took a 39-22 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Colonials improved their shooting from the field in the second half to 50 percent but were 1-for-8 from the line. However, the Hoyas also improved to 42 percent from the field and did not miss one of their 13 free throws, while Lisicky made four three-pointers.
George Washington came within 10 points with 11:26 remaining, but freshman guard Greeba Outen Barlow committed her fourth personal foul of the game, sending Brunson to the line for an almost automatic two points.
The Hoyas played a zone defense for the majority of the game, forcing the Colonials to keep the ball around the perimeter. They were 1-for-18 from the three-point line. Their leading scorer, junior guard Cathy Joens, made just 2 of 20 shots.
Their front line, which has been producing most of their points behind senior forward Elena Vishniakova and sophomore forward Ugo Cha, was not a factor against the Hoyas. Vishniakova did not play because of a back injury, and Cha had eight points on 2-for-8 shooting.
“We looked out of sync tonight. We looked like we never saw a zone defense before. In the first half, we shot [23] percent. You’re not going to beat anyone doing that,” GW Head Coach Joe McKeown said.
George Washington dropped out of the AP Top 25 Poll this week after a 67-54 loss to Rice.
“If they’re not playing well, it’s early in the year. They’ve always straightened it out, and they will,” Knapp said.
The Hoyas’ win will surely help them down the stretch, as they face an extremely tough schedule this season. They face No. 11 Duke tomorrow, as well as No. 1 Connecticut and defending national champions Notre Dame during Big East play.
The Blue Devils (6-2) are coming off a 107-73 win over Virginia but are without sophomores Rometra Craig and Crystal White, who decided to transfer after the fall semester. They did not accompany the team on the trip to Virginia and D.C. Tip-off against the Blue Devils will be at 4 p.m. at McDonough Gymnasium.
