Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | Georgetown’s Winless January Continues With 74-53 Loss to Villanova

The Georgetown women’s basketball team suffered a 74-53 defeat to Villanova Jan. 18 on the road. The defeat comes as the team’s fifth-consecutive loss in a winless January. The Hoyas currently sit at an overall record of 4-14 and at 1-6 in conference, putting them eighth in the Big East rankings.

Sophomore guard Nikola Kovacikova and graduate student guard Taylor Barnes were the two highest scorers for Georgetown with 13 and 14 points on the day. The two were the only Hoyas to reach double digits, supported by sophomore forward Shanniah Wright and senior guard Marvellous Osagie-Erese with 9 and 7 points.

Villanova (11-7, 5-2 Big East) asserted themselves early in the matchup, dominating the first quarter on the offensive end. The Wildcats’ lead was generated from a sharpshooting display of 9-for-14 shooting from the field and 4-for-7 from the three-point mark. Georgetown, in contrast, shot 6-for-15 in the first quarter.

While Georgetown claimed the first lead of the game with a basket from behind the arc by Barnes in the second minute, the Blue and Gray quickly conceded the advantage and trailed for the remainder of the game. The Wildcats earned eight unanswered points in the middle of the first before ending the quarter on an 11-5 run, emerging as the dominant offensive force with a 23-14 advantage. 

Villanova guard Cameron Onken led the way for the Wildcats to start, draining a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter on 2-for-2 shooting from deep to tally four of her 13 total points in the game.

Kirk Zieser/The Hoya | Graduate student guard Taylor Barnes dribbles near half court as she directs a teammate to open space. Barnes led the Hoyas with 14 points against the Wildcats, shooting 3-for-8 from behind the arc in the loss to Villanova.

The second quarter proved to be more evenly matched as both teams scored 17. The Hoyas relied heavily on their three-point shooting, scoring only two baskets from inside the arc. Both of these baskets came from sophomore guard Tayanna Jones, who shot 2-for-5 in the first half. 

The Hoyas challenged the Wildcats early in the second, notching seven unanswered points to open the quarter to cut their deficit to two. Even with this strong opening, the Blue and Gray soon faltered defensively by conceding a 12-0 run to Villanova with a minute left in the half. The quarter concluded on a three-pointer from Barnes to bring the score to 40-31.

The third quarter proved to be a pivotal point for the Hoyas, who were plagued by 14 missed shots that allowed the Wildcats to extend their lead into the double digits. The Blue and Gray lost the quarter 17-8 behind 3-for-16 shooting from the field and 0-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Villanova drained six of its 17 shots from the field and shot 3-for-8 from the three-point line. Faltering on the offensive end, Georgetown allowed Villanova to run away with an 18-point advantage, a lead that would prove insurmountable for the Hoyas. 

Entering the fourth quarter trailing 57-39, Georgetown did not sink a shot from the field until the fourth minute of play. Despite the Blue and Gray’s efforts to close the double-digit deficit, an 8-0 run by Villanova in the last three minutes of play pushed its lead to as much as 26 points before ending the game at 74-53 for the win.

Villanova’s success came as a result of its dominance in the paint. The Wildcats outscored the Hoyas 30-16 from inside the paint, a stark 14-point difference in a game lost by 21. Villanova’s success in the paint was supported by its efforts in rebounds, notching 41 rebounds to Georgetown’s 32. 

The Hoya’s season is far from over, as Georgetown has 11 more regular-season conference games. They next face Marquette Friday, Jan. 24 and then DePaul Sunday, Jan. 26 in a midwest road trip. They will be looking to snap their five-game losing streak against two tough Big East teams. Marquette currently sits in fifth place in the conference with an overall record of 13-5 and an in-conference record of 4-3. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, Wi. 

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