The No. 19 Georgetown women’s basketball team (15-4, 4-2 Big East) will take their two-game win streak home this weekend to face No. 15 Louisville (15-4, 4-2 Big East) this Sunday in a critical Big East matchup.

The Hoyas come into the contest on a two-game win streak, having steamrolled rival Syracuse last weekend and Marquette Tuesday. The two wins put Georgetown into a tie with Louisville for fourth place overall in the Big East conference standings.

The Cardinals and the Hoyas have had very similar seasons thus far. Besides a couple of losses to formidable opponents early in the year, Louisville ran through their nonconference schedule with ease.

Just like Georgetown, Louisville faltered earlier this year against two tough Big East teams in St. John’s and No. 7 Rutgers. However, the Cardinals will come into McDonough Arena having earned a convincing victory against Providence in their last outing, and Sunday’s game is sure to be a tight contest.

“At any given time you just never know what is going to happen in the Big East,” Georgetown Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. “There are enough talented players that on any given night anybody can be beaten.”

Head Coach Jeff Walz’s Cardinals are an offensive-minded team, and their 72.6 points per game ranks fourth in the conference. The majority of this offense comes through the trio of sophomore point guard Shoni Schimmel, senior guard Becky Burke and freshman guard Bria Smith, who each average over 10 points per game.

But Louisville is not quite as talented inside as it is on the perimeter, especially after losing its leading scorer and rebounder in senior forward Monique Reid to a knee injury in December.

With the loss of Reid, redshirt sophomore center Cierra Warren and sophomore forward Shawnta’ Dyer have had to handle most of the rebounding, as they each average close to five boards per game.

“They’re very good at the guard position, and we definitely need to be able to defend [them],” Williams-Flournoy said of the Cardinals. “Schimmel and Burke can shoot the three with extended range, and Bria Smith has come and played extremely well for them.”

While Louisville relies on its scoring, the Hoyas have thwarted opposing offenses all season long. The Blue and Gray have given up only 51.1 points per game, the fourth-best defensive mark in the conference.

Of course, Georgetown boasts one of the nation’s premiere scorers in junior guard Sugar Rodgers, who averages 19.8 points per contest. Senior point guard Rubylee Wright has complemented Rodgers well, averaging almost five assists per game.

The Hoyas should also have the edge over the Cardinals inside, as senior forwards Tia Magee and Adria Crawford, who each average over six boards per game, are both more seasoned than their counterparts.

The winner of Sunday’s game will not only move ahead in the Big East standings but will also significantly bolster its NCAA Tournament resume with a win over a ranked opponent. Despite the importance of the game, Williams-Flournoy and her team are simply looking to start strong against a tough Big East squad.

“Our approach is always just to get a good start,” Wright said. As long as we come into the first half and play hard, we don’t struggle with anybody.”

Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday at McDonough Arena.