The Georgetown women’s basketball team (4-20, 2-10 Big East) is set to take on conference rival Xavier (14-10, 6-7 Big East) Friday at McDonough Arena.

The Hoyas, whose last victory came on Jan. 9 against Providence (5-19, 2-11 Big East), will attempt to end their current eight-game losing streak.

“I don’t think [the losing streak] has affected us at all,” junior forward Brittany Horne said. “We just keep moving forward, knowing that we are getting better every day.”

The Hoyas will seek to demonstrate their growth as they take on Xavier for the second time this season. The Musketeers beat Georgetown by eight points in a Jan. 16 game that was tied on eight different occasions and included seven lead changes.

Georgetown went into the locker room at halftime leading by six points but saw that advantage vanish quickly as Xavier opened up the second half by scoring seven unanswered points. The Hoyas trailed by only three points with less than a minute and a half left in the contest but were unable to overcome the deficit before the final buzzer sounded.

Georgetown will look to eliminate the scoring droughts and defensive lapses that plagued them during their first matchup with Xavier. The Hoyas struggled to find the bottom of the net for significant spans of time while allowing the Muskateers to score 18 points from the free throw line.

“We need to go hard for 40 minutes, not just 20 minutes,” freshman guard Dorothy Adomako said. “We need to trust Coach and trust our teammates.”

Adomako led the way for the Hoyas in their first matchup against Xavier. She finished the game with six rebounds and a team-high 18 points. Following her impressive performance against the Musketeers, Adomako was named Big East Freshman of the Week, an honor she has received five times this season.

Adomako is Georgetown’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 13.5 points and 7.0 boards per game. Georgetown will need another big performance from her to stay competitive with Xavier on Friday.

“Dorothy has gotten better and more confident as the season has progressed,” Head Coach Natasha Adair said. “The second time around just takes the tension off and I think she will be way more relaxed. I don’t anticipate her having any problems [against Xavier].”

Horne also performed well against the Musketeers, scoring 10 points. Junior forward Logan Battle added nine points of her own as well as five rebounds.

Sophomore guard Raeshaun Gaffney had the biggest impact for Xavier, scoring a game-high 21 points against the Hoyas. Gaffney ranks second amongst her teammates in terms of scoring, averaging 10.2 points per game.

Gaffney trails just behind junior forward Briana Glover, who averages a team-high 11.7 points per game. On Friday, the Hoyas will have to be attentive to both Gaffney and Glover and must be prepared to make defensive adjustments aimed at containing these two scoring threats.

“There are tough players in this league that are going to compete and that are going to give it their all,” Adair said. “We want to make it hard for them. We want to limit their easy baskets and easy touches.”

Adair is confident that her team has the ability to avenge its earlier loss to Xavier.

“I think if we are focused on what we need to do offensively and defensively, we will come out on top,” Adair said. “On our gym floor, our terms. That is how we want to approach the game. It is a game we can win.”

In addition to what will likely be another close contest between Georgetown and Xavier, Friday’s game will feature the much-anticipated “Hail to Kale” promotional event. The first 100 fans to arrive at McDonough Arena will receive free bowls of kale Caesar salad, and any fan whose name contains the letters K, A, L and E will be let into the game free of charge.

Attendees will have the chance to win gift cards to D.C. restaurants known for their kale dishes and to choose from a number of specially created kale dining options at the concession stand.

“[Hail to the Kale] has taken on a life of its own,” Adair said. “I think we are going to get some people here just to see what it is like.”

Tipoff will be at 8 p.m.