The ball bounced off the top of the rim, the side, the backboard. It bounced around the rim or spiraled a few times, but those free-throw shots never went it.

That’s the story behind the Georgetown’s women’s basketball team’s 77-71 loss to Russia’s UMMC-Ekaterinburg last Monday night. Shooting 10-for-25 on free throws, compared with UMMC’s 17-for-20 performance, the Hoyas showed that they have yet to overcome a problem that cost them some wins last season.

“Yes, we went 10-for-25 from the free-throw line. That should be the headline,” Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said.

UMMC offered a bigger lineup than the Netherlands did last week, causing the game to shift its focus more from the perimeter to the paint. Georgetown could never get ahead of its visitor, at best posting a four-point lead midway through the first half. UMMC began to pull away soon after that, outscoring the Hoyas 19-5 in a five-minute period to go up 30-20.

“We just came out flat. We came out with no intensity,” senior guard Mary Lisicky said. “We should be up for each and every game, but we weren’t up for this one.

As the Hoyas did against the Netherlands in the same situation, they rallied back to close the first half in striking position of their foe. Freshman forward Kieraah Marlow led the charge with 18 points from inside, helping bring Georgetown within three points, 41-38. Lisicky helped out in the first half with 12 points as the two provided much of the team’s offensive power the entire night.

Georgetown tried to get back in the game throughout the second half, and succeeded briefly before those foul shots took their toll. Though both teams had nearly the same number of free-throw opportunities in the last 20 minutes, UMMC netted 11 to the Hoyas five, a disparity that matches the difference in the final score. It did not help Georgetown that Marlow was also limited to two points throughout the half.

“I thought that I had more touches in the first half but I also could have moved more without the ball and I would have probably got more shots,” Marlow said.

Without solid free-throw shooting, the team looked distracted and lost lots of easy points. No matter how hard they tried to catch up, it was never enough to avoid a 77-71 loss.

“It’s partly about momentum. Free throws are about concentration; you need to get up on the line with confidence,” Marlow said

Once again, the Hoyas showed that they cannot win with only two double-digit scorers. While four players on the opposing side garnered at least 10 points, Georgetown had Lisicky with 24 and arlow with 20. Those were two of the best performances of the night, but not enough to take down the other team. Senior guard Bethany LeSueur had seven points off 2-for-12 shooting and seniors forward Varda Tamoulianis and guard Sarah Jenkins had six points each off a combined 5-for-18 shooting.

“We really didn’t have a good practice all week, and it showed. Our intensity level was very down,” Williams-Flournoy said. “Those players coming off the bench have to come in ready to play and give us something.”

Even if the Hoyas showed that last year’s flaws still show, they offered some signs for potential. Georgetown outrebounded UMMC by a slight margin, 47-44, behind the efforts of Tamoulianis (19 rebounds) and Marlow (13). Marlow has shown particular strength pulling down offensive boards. And LeSueur dished out nine assists; so even if she was not shooting well, she was effective in getting the ball to other scorers.

After spending a few days practicing free throws, Georgetown will open its season tonight with a showdown against crosstown rival George Washington. It is always an intense affair, but the Hoyas have grabbed the last three matchups. Last year the two teams went at it until the final seconds before Georgetown held out for a 67-62 win.

This year, however, the Colonials will come with a depleted lineup. They are missing swingman Cathy Joens, last year’s Atlantic 10 offensive player of the year and a very accurate shooter. They also lost Ugo Oha, a center and the team’s leading rebounder and the A-10’s defensive player of the year. A year ago, Joens poured on 25 points for her side.

The biggest remaining threat for the Colonials is senior forward Anna Montañana, a versatile player and the team’s leader. Seniors forward Liz Dancause and center Jessica Simmonds will also add to a strong frontcourt.

The two teams face off tonight at 7:30 p.m. at McDonough Gymnasium.

“We expect a dogfight as usual. It’s for bragging rights in the city,” Lisicky said. “I’ve beat them the past three years I’ve been here, so I want to go out with another win.”