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 Survives Scare, Extends Streak

SARI FRANKEL/THE HOYA Senior forward Tommacina McBride scored 10 points in the Hoyas’ win.
SARI FRANKEL/THE HOYA
Senior forward Tommacina McBride scored 10 points in the Hoyas’ win.

The No. 19 Georgetown women’s basketball team (7-2) captured its sixth consecutive victory Sunday afternoon with a 58-51 win over Rider (3-3). The Hoyas fell behind late in the first half but fired back with an explosive 11-0 run to take command of the game in the second.

Rider jumped out to a strong start in the first half and the two teams battled back and forth for the lead. The game featured five ties and seven lead changes in total.

A foul by senior guard Rubylee Wright gave the Broncs a chance to take a five-point lead with four minutes left to play in the half, but a three-pointer from rookie forward Brittany Horne brought Georgetown within two. Another foul with four seconds left put Rider up, 29-24, at the break.

“We weren’t playing defense the way we typically would in the first half,” Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. “We had a majority of our starters on the bench with fouls, so we had to rely on the bench to play minutes they weren’t used to playing.”

The Broncs carried over their momentum, opening the second half with an 8-0 run in the first two minutes. The offensive explosion gave them their biggest lead of the game.

Trailing by 12 with plenty of time remaining, Georgetown climbed back to within one point with 10:42 left to play. Junior guard Sugar Rodgers ignited the comeback by sinking a free throw at 17:06, and junior center Sydney Wilson added a layup.

Rodgers posted four points in the run while Wilson managed three. Wright and senior forward Tommacina McBride each added a basket to bring the Hoyas within one.

Rodgers’ layup with 8:53 left gave the Hoyas a 40-39 lead, their first of the half. A free throw gave Rider an opportunity to tie the game at 40, but with just over eight minutes to play, Georgetown took the advantage for good.

The Hoyas increased their lead with back-to-back jumpers from McBride, and Rodgers nailed two free throws to give the Hoyas their biggest advantage of the game at 14.

Rider managed to cut the hosts’ lead to seven with just under 30 seconds left to play, but the Hoyas quickly forced a turnover with 16 seconds left to secure the 58-51 victory.

“Rider didn’t just play hard because they were playing Georgetown, they played hard because they always play that way,” said Williams-Flournoy. “I think our team can learn something from that. … We have to work on always playing to level of our competitors.”

Rodgers led the Hoyas in scoring with 21 points, while McBride chipped in with 10. Wilson managed 10 rebounds to lead the squad, which outrebounded the Broncs by just one board. Georgetown forced 24 turnovers while Rider only managed 12.

The Hoyas will face off against Pittsburgh on the road Wednesday evening in their first Big East conference game of the season. The Panthers are currently 4-4 on the season, with two of their losses coming at home. Georgetown is 21-27 overall against Pitt but downed the Panthers, 67-57, last year at McDonough Arena.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Petersen Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, Pa.

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