WOMEN’S HOOPS GU Can’t Master Miami Brunson’s 16, Lisicky’s 14 Aren’t Enough By Julie Wood Hoya Staff Writer

Charles Nailen/The Hoya Junio forward Nok Duany looks for a teammate earlier in the season. She had 18 rebounds and 18 reboudnds at West Virginia.

The Georgetown women’s basketball team lost its second heartbreaker in a row Wednesday, as it fell 64-56 to Miami. A week ago, the Hoyas lost 71-70 to West Virginia in overtime. While it was the end of that matchup that did the Hoyas in, it was their bad start against Miami that put the Hoyas in a hole from which they couldn’t recover.

“We didn’t start today. The first two or three plays of the game, we had people out of position,” Head Coach Pat Knapp said.

The Hoyas (11-12, 3-9 Big East) were within three points with three minutes remaining, but fouls and missed shots left them eight points short.

“We had a couple of poor fouls between the five- and the two-minute mark that probably cost us,” Knapp said.

In a poor shooting performance by the Hoyas, who are shooting 43 percent for the season, they were 34 percent from the floor. Sophomore forward Rebekkah Brunson had 16 points on 6-for-16 shooting. Freshman point guard Mary Lisicky added 14.

“I know [Brunson] is upset, but I think she played a good game,” Knapp said. “She gave a tremendous effort. Let’s be honest, Becky probably missed four of five follow-up shots.”

Georgetown opened the game with an apparent lack of energy and was immediately frustrated by Miami’s zone. The Hoyas committed 23 turnovers in the game, and their starting guards, Lisicky and senior Lesley Walker had 10.

“I think we got a little rattled by their pressure, and we can’t let that happen,” Knapp said.

Miami (15-8, 8-5 Big East) was led by sophomore forwards Chanivia Broussard and Shaquana Wilkins. They had 14 and 18 points, respectively.

“There were two specific plays on defense that our kids didn’t adjust to. One was the screen and roll up top, the other was the guard picking for the post down low. There’s no reason for it,” Knapp said. “That was really poor defense.”

Miami worked to its biggest lead of the first half – nine – with eight minutes remaining. Brunson’s 3-for-8 shooting left the Hoyas down 33-26 at the break.

The ‘Canes began the second half with more trapping defense, creating more turnovers. They had 22 points off turnovers in the game.

They reached their biggest lead of the game, 10 points, with 5:39 remaining. But two layups and a Lisicky three-pointer later, the Hoyas found themselves down three with 3:10 left.

“I thought we played much more aggressively in the second half, coming to the ball, cutting to the ball, taking the ball to the basket. It seems like we had more opportunities in the second half,” Knapp said.

However, Georgetown junior forward Zsuzsanna Horvath committed the Hoyas’ eighth foul of the half, sending Miami’s Wilkins to the line. She was 9-for-10 from the stripe in the last 2:19 of the game.

The Hoyas will look to snap their two-game losing streak against St. John’s tomorrow. The Hoyas took the last meeting against the Red Storm, 63-54.

Tip off in Jamaica, N.Y. will be at 7:30 p.m.