WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GU Gets Win Over Jumpers Brunson Socres 27 in Exhibition Matchup By Julie Wood Hoya Staff Writer

Charles Nailen/The Hoya Senior Lesley Walker and the Hoyas downed the Perik Jumpers of Holland 93-66 Saturday.

The Georgetown women’s basketball team showed progress in readying themselves for the regular season as they won their final preseason matchup 93-66, against the Perik Jumpers of Holland on Saturday.

Sophomore center Rebekkah Brunson scored 27 points on 11-for-12 shooting. The Hoyas shot 63.3 percent as a team from the floor.

The Hoyas dominated the game with superb shooting and tough defense – something lacking in their loss last Friday to the Russian National team.

“I think the key thing was that for the first 30 minutes, we played better on offense. If we had played better on offense against the Russians, then they wouldn’t have had so many fast breaks,” Head Coach Pat Knapp said.

Freshman point guard Mary Lisicky made her second starting appearance for the Hoyas and contributed 15 points and had five steals.

The team’s starters – Lisicky, senior guard Lesley Walker, junior forward Shawntese Charles, junior forward Nok Duany and Brunson – contributed to most of the team’s offensive production.

“I think the combinations that are going to get us started this year right now were out on the floor [at the beginning of the game]. We still need some other people to step up. We don’t want to play seven or eight people all year; we have to play nine or 10 to be as good as we can be,” Knapp said.

The most valuable performance off the bench came from sophomore forward Varda Tamoulianis, who scored 17 points and had six rebounds.

“I think that Rebekkah, Nok and Varda played very well, and Mary and Lesley kept us in control,” Knapp said.

In addition to their efficient offensive production, the Hoyas corrected several of the problems they faced against the Russian team. They gave up too many points to the Russians on second chances; on Saturday, however, the Hoyas had 26 defensive rebounds, which helped prevent the Jumpers from scoring.

“We’re just coming together slow as a team, or else we would have played this way against the Russians as well. But, what you look for is improvement,” Head Coach Pat Knapp said.

The Hoyas led by as many as 38 points in the lopsided victory.

“We’re not as bad as that Russian score indicates, but we’re not as good as this score indicates. We have work to do. We have much bigger fish to fry,” Knapp said.

The Hoyas’ regular season schedule, which opens this Friday against Farleigh Dickinson, includes Big East powerhouses Connecticut, who is preseason-ranked No. 1 (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll) and defending national champion Notre Dame, as well as perennial contender Duke.

The Hoyas begin their 2001-02 campaign against Farliegh Dickinson at 5 p.m. Friday in McDonough Gymnasium.

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