This post was written by Hatchet reporter Barbara Alberts.
In women’s basketball’s first game under head coach Jennifer Rizzotti, the Colonials were plagued with missed free throws and weak rebounding down the stretch, leading to a Hoya victory in their season opener Friday.
After leading the game for 33 minutes, GW gave up 32 points in the fourth quarter to hand the Georgetown its first win of the season in an unexpected 72-57 defeat. The Colonials were outscored 32-9 by the Hoyas in the final frame.
“Obviously we’re disappointed in the loss tonight,” Rizzotti said.
Senior forward Caira Washington led the Colonials with a team-high 18 points and 6 rebounds in the loss.
GW took an early lead, scoring 15 points in the first 5 minutes of the game to Georgetown’s 5.
They played strong defensively, protected the basket and forced the Hoyas to take three-point shots – the weakest part of their game.
GW’s lead narrowed to 18–14 at the end of the first set after Georgetown picked up 11 points off of Colonials turnovers.
At halftime, GW led only 32–24, despite shooting 50 percent from the field compared to Georgetown’s 28. Sophomore guard Mei-Lyn Bautista had a team-high eight points going into the halftime break.
To start the second half, GW played to its strengths, looking to get the ball inside offensively. Washington scored 8 of the 16 points for the Colonials in the third quarter.
“Getting the ball up, getting it in transition…doing what we do best, I think that’s what got us our lead,” Bautista said.
Washington, who only saw five minutes of action in the first half, was able to rest on the bench due to the success of graduate student forward Lexi Martins and junior forward Kelly Prange in the paint.
“It is very important, they are great post players and versatile,” Washington said. “They’re both [veterans] so it’s important for them to step up and be vocal on and off the floor.”
The Colonials offense could not keep up with the Georgetown defense, however, as the Hoyas picked up eight offensive rebounds in the third quarter after grabbing only five in the entire first half.
The game was neck-and-neck heading into the fourth quarter with GW 48–40.
A surge in Colonials’ fouls sent the Hoyas to the free throw line seven times, where they shot 100 percent in the fourth quarter. GW shot only 50 percent at free throw line on the night.
“I mean, obviously, we need to make our free throws, that’s just a given,” Rizzotti said. “We got some really good opportunities late and we didn’t capitalize.”
With four minutes remaining in the game, Georgetown senior guard Dorothy Adomako made a lay-up that put her team up 56–55 and began a 18-2 run for the Hoyas, solidifying their victory.
“When we can’t get our defensive rebounds, it really limits our opportunity to run in transition and get those easy baskets,” Rizzotti said. “I think that’s what happened in those last six minutes of the game.”
Georgetown finished with 17 offensive rebounds, more than double the 7 that the Colonials recorded.
With tonight’s loss behind them, Rizzotti said she is confident her team will continue to improve as the season goes.
“As I’ve told the team, we need to trust the process and have some patience and make sure we respond well to the adversity,” Rizzotti said. ““I’m happy with the progress we made as a team.”
Next up, the Colonials will take on Princeton in their home opener on Sunday. Tip off is set for noon.
