An early start didn’t slow down the Hoyas on Jan. 24, as the Georgetown University women’s basketball team defeated the Xavier Musketeers 65-52 in Big East action at Cintas Center in Cincinnati.
After some early back-and-forth action, the Hoyas (12-8, 5-6 Big East) took a commanding lead in the third quarter and never looked back, taking down the Musketeers (10-10, 3-8 Big East) to avenge a Jan. 4 January 52-51 home loss where Georgetown faltered in the final seconds. The impending severe winter storm over the eastern United States pushed the tip-off into the morning, at 9:30 a.m. EST.
The opening quarter featured early competition and bucket-trading, as both teams settled in offensively. The Musketeers struck first, but the Hoyas quickly responded. Georgetown graduate forward Brianna Scott converted an early layup, and junior forward Brianna Byars ignited the game midway through the quarter with a shot-clock-beating 3-pointer.
Georgetown took a 19-14 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 13-2 Hoya run over 3 minutes sparked by steals and transition opportunities.
Georgetown increased their advantage early in the second quarter as sophomore guard Destiny Agubuta made a long-range 3-pointer. Xavier responded with a persistent effort, going on an 11-0 run over 4 minutes to momentarily reclaim the lead as Georgetown struggled offensively.
Junior guard Khia Miller stabilized the Hoyas with consecutive 3-pointers, halting the Musketeers’ momentum to regain control. Georgetown led 30-27 at the half despite a buzzer-beater from Xavier guard Vivien Nejašmić.
The Hoyas played their best stretch of the game in the third quarter, coming out of the break with a sense of urgency. Inside, Scott grabbed control and drove in a layup, kicking off a 10-0 run to start the half. Scott secured 5 of those 10 points.
On that run, Georgetown kept up their defensive pressure, limiting second-chance opportunities and forcing mistakes. The Hoyas had a 49-37 lead going into the fourth quarter thanks to 2 timely 3-pointers from graduate guard Laila Jewett and Scott’s continued work on both ends.
Xavier made one final attempt to rally in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 8 early on in the period and generating energy through defensive pressure. Yet Georgetown didn’t lose their cool. The Hoyas performed well from the free-throw line in the game’s closing minutes, with Scott drawing two fouls and making all four free throws. The Musketeers were unable to close the gap due to the Hoyas’ strong defensive coverage and controlled tempo, securing the Georgetown win.
Georgetown Head Coach Darnell Haney emphasized the team’s preparation, saying his squad effectively responded after halftime to seal the win.
“This adversity just teaches us we’ve got to be ready to go at any time, and I felt like we were extremely ready to go this morning,” Haney told Georgetown Athletics after the game. “We had some mishaps in the first half that we had to fix, and then we kind of came on in the second half. I’m proud of Brianna Scott for her performance today, she showed up and this was one of her best games.”
“Also, Khia Miller had a good game, she’s getting more consistent,” Haney added. “We’re going to celebrate this today, bundle up for the cold and move on to the next one.”
For the second straight game, Scott topped the team with a season-high 21 points and a game-leading 8 rebounds. She shot a flawless 7-for-7 from the free throw line and contributed 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Miller, who contributed crucial perimeter scoring, joined Scott in double digits with 17 points and 3 steals.
Georgetown’s field goal percentage was 42.3% (22-for-52), whereas Xavier’s was 37.5% (21-for-56). Both teams ended with 32 rebounds; the Hoyas recorded 17 steals and caused 23 turnovers from the Musketeers.
Georgetown returns home Jan. 29 to play Seton Hall University (14-6, 8-3 Big East) in the yearly school day game, inviting area K-12 students to McDonough Arena at 11 a.m.
