Senior guard Sugar Rodgers has played her way into the record books once again.

In the same week that NBA superstar Kobe Bryant became the youngest player to reach 30,000 career points, Rodgers cemented her spot in school lore during Tuesday’s win over Monmouth as the first women’s basketball player in Georgetown history to score 2,000 career points. But while all members of the Blue and Gray celebrated the achievement, no one was surprised by it.

“Sugar is always aware of her next milestone. Sugar is one of those kids who wants to win every single award, but she never wants to keep the accolades,” Head Coach Keith Brown said. “Everybody was happy – you know, ‘Go Sugar!’ – but they’re not shocked.”

Rodgers scored a season-high 30 points in the Hoyas’ 61-48 victory over the Hawks (2-6). All but five of those 30 came in the second half, highlighting the team’s emerging pattern of starting slow and finishing with a kick. Although Georgetown has had success despite its slow starts in recent outings, Brown explained that he won’t allow this pattern to become a part of the team’s identity.

“I hate being called a ‘second-half team’ – absolutely hate it with a passion. I think it is just inexperience, and we will get better as we grow as a unit,” Brown said. “We are only nine games into the season, and hopefully by the 15th or the 20th game they will have a better idea of how they need to come out every single day and set the tone early.”

After jumping to a quick 6-0 lead, the Hoyas’ intensity fell off, and the Hawks pulled ahead 10-8 at the 15-minute mark. The Blue and Gray’s offense continued to struggle, as Rodgers and Co. went five minutes without a field goal. Fortunately for Georgetown, Monmouth’s foul trouble allowed the Hoyas to keep it close by scoring from the free-throw line.

Both teams played hard to close out the first half, and the Hoyas went ahead by one point going into the break.

Entering the locker room as a team locked in what looked destined to be a close contest the rest of the way, Georgetown emerged as a different team with a renewed focus. “In the first half – this happens in many of our games – we need to make better decisions. And I think in the second half, when we’re able to settle them down and show them their mistakes and call it to their attention, they usually come out in the second half and play a lot better,” Brown said.

Rodgers especially seemed to tap into a new reserve when she started the second half; although she had already reached her 2,000th point before the break, Rodgers showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, she ratcheted her game up, scoring 11 consecutive points to contribute to the Hoyas’ 30-27 lead at the 15-minute mark of the second half.

Georgetown’s defense also did its part, forcing 34 turnovers and setting up the fastbreak points that allowed the squad to extend its lead. Monmouth hung in there, however, by raining threes from all around the arc, finishing the second half with more treys than two-pointers.

But late in the game, when sophomore forward Brittney Horne and senior center Sydney Wilson connected to make the score 54-43, the Hawks were unable to get back in the competition, and the Hoyas coasted to victory from there.

The Blue and Gray will be back on the court Sunday at Penn State, and if the Hoyas are to beat the No. 10 Lady Lions, they will need to make their normal second-half intensity to last for the entirety of the game.

Brown acknowledged the difficulty of playing in the atmosphere at State College, but he said that facing talented teams early in the season is good preparation, especially considering his players’ “tendency to step up” against talented opponents.

As for Sugar? She’s already looking for another record to shatter.