A 9-0 run to begin the fourth quarter failed to salvage the game for the Georgetown women’s basketball team against Villanova. After netting 11 unanswered points to close out the game, the Wildcats ultimately took down the Blue and Gray 48-40.
The Feb. 16 home loss marks the Hoyas’ (5-20, 2-12 Big East) 12th conference loss as the team remains in eighth place in the Big East while Villanova (14-11, 8-6 Big East) sits in fifth place.
The first quarter was a defensive battle as both teams shot low percentages from the field. The Hoyas took 18 shots, connecting on just three of their attempts for a 16.67% field goal percentage. The Wildcats shot 3-for-13 — or 23.08% — from the field, finishing the quarter on a 6-0 run to claim a 10-7 lead.
The second quarter was Georgetown’s best stretch of the day, with the Blue and Gray denying the Wildcats their two field goal attempts from inside the three-point line.
Villanova connected on two of its 11 three-point attempts and sank a pair of free throws, leaving them with eight points in the second frame.
The Hoyas looked strong to start the second period as both sophomore guard Nikola Kovacikova and junior forward Tatiana Thompson scored early layups, reclaiming the lead at 11-10.
With just two minutes remaining until halftime, Georgetown led 17-12 off a strong layup from sophomore forward Shanniah Wright. Villanova’s Bridget Herlihy, however, then sunk back-to-back three-pointers to end the half, putting Villanova ahead 18-17.
The third quarter began in the Wildcats’ favor, with Villanova using its offensive momentum from the end of first half to power an opening 6-0 run. In the remainder of the third quarter, the Hoyas fought to keep the Wildcats’ lead to a manageable amount. Senior guard Marvellous Osagie-Erese found her offensive stride for the Blue and Gray for the first five minutes of the third, scoring five points and grabbing a rebound.
Sophomore guard Tayanna Jones finished the quarter with five points in the final minute to bring the score to 37-29 in favor of Villanova.
The fourth quarter began quite encouragingly for the Hoyas as they launched a 7-0 run, forcing a Villanova timeout. Five of these quick points came from Kovacikova as she tried to lead her team out of a deficit. After the timeout, sophomore guard Cassandra Gordon drilled a step-back baseline jumper to put the Hoyas up 38-37.
The final five minutes of the game, however, belonged to the Wildcats. Villanova scored 11 straight points and silenced the Georgetown offense, effectively putting the game out of reach for the Hoyas as the final score read 48-40.
On the day, Kovacikova led the Hoyas with 12 points, four rebounds, six assists and a steal while Jones provided support with seven points, six rebounds and a block against the Wildcats.
Throughout the game, the matchup remained competitive, and the Hoyas hung in with a Villanova team that previously defeated them 74-53 on the road. Both teams committed 10 turnovers and Villanova narrowly outrebounded Georgetown 41-40. The Wildcats also made 29.6% of their field goals while the Hoyas went 28.3% from the field.
Georgetown’s next game is Friday, Feb. 21 at McDonough Arena against DePaul University, who currently sits in last place in the conference. The Hoyas will be looking to round their season out on a stronger note and avoid the low scoring pitfalls that plagued their midseason 10-game losing streak. Tipoff against the Blue Demons is scheduled for 7 p.m.
