Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | GU Defeats Big East Leader DePaul

As the Hoyas embarked on their most difficult road stretch of the season, one thing became certain: The team would have to put forth its best performance against the top two seeds in the Big East to have any chance of pulling off wins.

Georgetown did just that last weekend against DePaul and Marquette, as they pushed the Blue Demons and Golden Eagles, respectively, to the limit for four quarters. Although the effort in both games had the potential to dethrone these top dogs, Georgetown walked away from the road trip 1-1, following an 86-85 victory at DePaul on Friday and a nail-biting 71-68 loss to Marquette on Sunday.

With hopes of avenging their 16-point loss at home just three weeks ago, the Hoyas (12-14, 7-9 Big East) entered the home of the Blue Demons (21-7, 13-3) with clear focus from the opening tip. Although Georgetown trailed by five at the end of the first quarter, they went shot for shot with DePaul, as both teams went 8-15 from the field.

ANNA KOVACEVICH/THE HOYA
Junior guard Dionna White scored 33 points in Georgetown’s win against DePaul last Friday and 27 points in Saturday’s loss to Marquette. Her efforts were enough to win Big East Player of the Week honors.

Junior guard Dionna White, who accounted for 16 total points in the first half, along with senior forward Cynthia Petke, who added 10 points, helped the Hoyas go into the locker room 40-34, still within striking distance.

The third quarter was headlined again by the efforts of Petke and White, who posted 16 points combined, allowing Georgetown to hang around DePaul before making its run in the final 10 minutes. In their previous matchup, the Blue Demons led by two points at the conclusion of the third before exploding to gain 25 points to secure a 16-point win. This time, the Hoyas refused to let the game slip away.

Once again, the charge was led by White — who tallied 33 points — and Petke. In a game without senior guard Mikayla Venson, White and Petke’s performances, combined with the efforts of three role players, ultimately proved to be invaluable.

Senior guards DiDi Burton and sophomore guard Morgan Smith combined to add 10 points and two assists on the offensive side, while giving the team three much-needed steals in a game where stops were few and far between. Down low, freshman forward Tatiana Thompson put up eight points, all of which were instrumental in the Hoyas’ one-point victory.

Head Coach James Howard lauded the team’s collective effort.

“[White] and Cynthia Petke put our team on their backs offensively while the other young ladies really were big defensively, and with Tatiana, with her two big threes down the stretch, gave us a team win,” Howard said.

On Sunday, the Hoyas were looking to defend a double-digit victory against Marquette (19-8, 13-3 Big East); in January the Hoyas routed the Golden Eagles on their home floor by 27 points.

As in the January contest, it seemed this battle was going to be a dog fight through two quarters. The two teams went back and forth for 20 minutes before the Hoyas ultimately took a three-point lead before halftime. White again did the majority of the offensive work in the first half, as she paved the way for the team with 16 points.

Other Hoyas began to assert themselves in the third quarter, as Petke, Smith, Venson and senior center Yazmine Belk scored points that Georgetown desperately needed in a quarter in which White scored only two. Even with a number of contributors, however, the Hoyas scored only 14 points in the third and trailed the Golden Eagles by two points going into the fourth.

As has been the case throughout the season for the Hoyas, their performance in the fourth quarter — whether bad or good — would prove pivotal in determining the outcome of the contest.

In the fourth, the team came together to chip away at the Marquette lead. White lead the way with nine, Petke and Thompson added four each and Burton and Smith put up two points each.

Ultimately, however, the Hoyas’ efforts were not enough to stop the Golden Eagles, as they outscored the Blue and Gray by just one in the quarter to secure the three-point victory.

Despite the loss, White’s 33-and 27-point performances during the road trip were enough to earn her the Big East Player of the Week award.

While reflecting on the weekend, Howard praised White’s play during the last two games.

“She couldn’t have picked a better time to come out against DePaul. She came out and she just played with so much spirit and she was hard to guard, and that was one of the big reasons why we were able to win at DePaul for the first time in seventeen years,” Howard said. “When Dionna is on go, and she’s locked in for 40 minutes she’s one of the best players in the conference.”

This Friday, Georgetown squares off against Creighton (17-9, 11-5 Big East) in the penultimate game of the season. The game will be played at McDonough Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 11 a.m.

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