The 5th-seeded Georgetown University women’s basketball team was able to hold off a feisty 12th-seeded Fresno State Bulldog squad on Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA tournament at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Despite jumping on the Bulldogs at the start, the Hoyas (23-8, 11-5 Big East) were never able to put the game out of reach until the closing minutes, surrendering a 17-point lead in the second half. But thanks to Fresno State’s poor ball control, Georgetown never lost the lead and finished on top, 61-56.
Senior forward Tia Magee led the way for the Blue and Gray with 17 points. While Magee bore much of the offensive load, she was also aided by junior guard Sugar Rodgers’ 11 points and senior forward Adria Crawford’s 11 points and nine boards. The Hoyas were cold in the second half, making no field goals in the final 6 minutes of play. Outstanding defense, however, forced 19 Fresno State turnovers and allowed Georgetown to compensate for its lack of offense in the second half.
“We either want to force teams to turn the ball over, or we want to force teams to play quicker than they probably really want to play,” Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy told reporters. Continue reading