After splitting last weekend’s two-game road trip, the Georgetown women’s basketball team returns home to face the Butler Bulldogs (2-12, 5-20 Big East) on Friday and the Xavier Musketeers (11-14, 3-11 Big East) on Saturday.
The Hoyas can complete a season sweep against both teams this weekend; with four games remaining, Georgetown can also make a jump in the conference standings.
Georgetown (15-9, 7-7 Big East) performed well against Seton Hall (11-14, 4-10 Big East) on Friday, staging a 28-12 run in the third quarter to win the game 77-60. Three players finished in double figures ,with senior forward Faith Woodward scoring 19 points and junior guard Dorothy Adomako adding 18. Junior forward Cynthia Petke had a breakout game, scoring a career-high 17 points with nine rebounds.
“We have the versatility, we can put four to five players in double figures if it’s a great night for us,” Georgetown Head Coach Natasha Adair said. “But, we tell everyone to be ready. You never know when your name and your number is going to be called. So, they sit on the edge of their seat.”
However, Georgetown suffered a 65-54 loss to St. John’s (17-9, 9-6) on Sunday. After the first quarter, the teams were tied at 18, but St. John’s pulled away to a 37-24 lead by the end of the second quarter. Despite the uphill battle, Georgetown pulled within five points with 2 minutes and 11 seconds remaining in the game. But the effort fell short, with Adomako scoring 21 points in the game.
“I felt like we lost focus and we had lapses. They took advantage of that, so just staying focused throughout the whole game and playing until the end,” White said.
Georgetown pulled out a close 69-64 overtime win in its first matchup against Xavier on Jan. 20, the Hoyas’ first overtime victory of the season. Adomako led the team with 18 points, followed by Woodward with 15. Sophomore guard Dionna White and senior guard Mykia Jones supported the effort by scoring 12 points apiece.
In order to secure another win against the Xavier Musketeers, the Hoyas must maintain a defensive focus. The last time the two teams met, Georgetown forced 22 Xavier turnovers. However, Georgetown allowed Xavier to shoot 50 percent in the first half, forcing the Hoyas to come from behind in the second half.
When the Hoyas played Butler on Jan. 22, the Hoyas won 58-52. It was a close game throughout, with White carrying the team with 29 points. Despite the outcome, Adair noted an extra emphasis on defense for this weekend’s game.
“We didn’t defend that game,” Adair said “But, you know, that was early, and we’ve really nestled into that, and I think our chemistry is better. So, we watch film and points of emphasis where we want to deny in areas and limit touches in areas.”
Butler is on a nine-game losing streak and lost to Depaul (22-5, 14-1 Big East) 92-62 on Sunday. Even though the Bulldogs have
struggled to convert wins as a team, their individual players can be dangerous scoring threats.
Sophomore forward Tori Schickel is a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the floor. Schickel’s board play ranks her first in the conference with 11.2 rebounds per game, while her team, leading 13.9 points per game, ranks No.10 in the Big East.
“We need to limit her touches,” Adair said of Schickel. “In some areas, we may run two people at her.”
Freshman guard Sydney Shelton earned Big East Freshman of the Week this past week, averaging 18 points and four rebounds while shooting 42.9 percent in Butler’s two losses last weekend. In the season, Shelton scores nine points per game in addition to 2.8 rebounds per game.
Sitting two games back from the No. 4 spot in the Big East, Georgetown turns to this weekend as an opportunity to regain ground.
“We can almost see the finish line,” Woodward said. “If we want to cut down banners and cut down nets at the end of the season this is what we have to do, and we need to stay focused.”
Tipoff for Friday’s game against Butler is at 7 p.m. in McDonough Arena. The Hoyas will take on Xavier at 2 p.m. Sunday in McDonough.
