Charles Nailen/The Hoya Junior forward Varda Tamoulianis tries to force her way past a defender from Richmond. The Hoyas fell, 62-60, to the Spiders.
On its home floor for the first time this season, the Georgetown women’s basketball team suffered a tough loss, falling to the Richmond Spiders 62-60 in a game that came down to the last shot.
Facing the team that knocked them from the WNIT last season, Georgetown never looked composed on the court. Last season’s loss to the Spiders was not close, but Thursday’s game provided drama until past the buzzer.
After trailing throughout the entire first half, the Hoyas were able to pull even with the Spiders for the first time with 4:30 left in the game on a three by junior guard Mary Lisicky. The Spiders responded with a quick basket by sophomore guard Saona Chapman to regain the lead. For the next two minutes, with both teams over the limit in fouls, the Hoyas and Spiders battled back and forth in free throws. Georgetown was able to regain the lead on a free throw by sophomore swingman Carmen Bruce, 60-59, with 1:02 remaining and even get a defensive stop on Richmond’s following possession. A turnover by Bruce with 30 seconds left, however, gave the ball back to the Spiders and a chance to pick up the win. The Hoyas quickly fouled, but Chapman was able to convert both free throws to put the Spiders back on top 61-60. Georgetown took a timeout to set up a scoring play, and was able to get the ball the team’s top scorer, senior forward Rebekkah Brunson. She did not have a clear shot, so she passed to senior forward Varda Tamoulianis, who missed a long jumper.
There was a loose ball on the ensuing rebound, with possession going to Richmond on the jump ball. The Hoyas immediately fouled in order to keep time on the clock for another possession, and Chapman even missed a free throw, giving the ball back to Georgetown with a chance to send the game to overtime with a two-pointer, but with only three seconds on the clock senior guard Sarah Jenkins was only able to put up a desperate shot from half court at the buzzer. The ball hit the front rim, keeping the Hoyas’ chances alive to the last instant, but the ball did not fall through the net and Georgetown lost for the first time this season.
“We didn’t play well enough to win in the first half at all,” Head Coach Pat Knapp said, “but we did play well enough to win in the second half. We put ourselves in too big a hole.”
Both teams got off to a slow start, with the first basket not coming until 1:22 into the game on a jumper by Richmond senior guard Amber Goppert. From that first basket the Spiders were able to keep the Hoyas chasing, both on the floor and in the point total. Georgetown was never out of the game, falling behind by eight points at the most, but they also never looked comfortable on the court. Richmond, the smaller team, used quick ball movement around the perimeter to keep Georgetown guessing and poor rebound, especially in the first half, kept the Hoyas from ever taking control.
“We could have boxed out a lot better in the first half,” said junior guard Bethany LeSueur, Georgetown’s leading scorer in the game with 19 points. “That’s what really kept us behind, they were getting second shots, but we cleaned it up in the second half and from there on we played them pretty well.”
For the entire game, the Spiders and Hoyas exchanged baskets, with neither team dominating the play or time of possession. In the first half, Georgetown was able to come within one point, 10-9, on a three-pointer by senior guard Sarah Jenkins, but that was as close as the Hoyas came until Lisicky’s three to tie the game late in the second half. At halftime, the Hoyas trailed by two baskets, 30-26, but were still very much in the contest.
Brunson was Georgetown’s top performer in the first half, scoring the Hoya’s first six points and 10 in the half, but Richmond soon found a way to contain her, holding her to only two shots and keeping her scoreless in the second half.
“[Brunson] kicked the ball out to open Hoyas and made some very good passes late in the game” Knapp said. “Everybody needs to be ready to shoot. If it’s not there, her teammates have to score, it’s that simple.”
Coming out of halftime, Georgetown was able to put up the first points, but Richmond followed with a 7-0 run to lead 37-28. The Hoyas never looked desperate and slowly chipped away at the deficit until they were able to pull within reach of the lead. Georgetown was not able to convert the win, but the game was by no means a blowout and will be a valuable learning tool for the Hoyas early in the season.
“Some of our players need to be more aggressive,” said Knapp about what the game revealed that the team needs to work on before their next game. That game will be an afternoon matchup against Indiana in McDonough Gymnasium. “They need to be more aware of what they are looking for when they pass and we better block out and be physical.”
