After an embarrassing loss to No. 3 Connecticut over the weekend, Georgetown needed to rebound strongly as it headed down the stretch of its Big East schedule. On Valentine’s day, they got the win they were looking for in Philadelphia.
The Hoyas overcame a poor shooting effort and handled Villanova (15-11, 5-8 Big East) in their own building on Tuesday night, winning 60-54. The No. 15 Hoyas (20-6, 9-4) led nearly the entire game, taking a 27-19 halftime lead that they would never relinquish. The Wildcats pulled within 31-29 with just under thirteen minutes to play before the Hoyas went on a game-deciding 11-3 run to put it away. Georgetown shot only 34.4% from the field, while Villanova shot a slightly better 41.9%. The Hoyas were still able to pull off the win, however, thanks to 50% shooting (7-14) from beyond the arc and scoring 20 points off of 19 Villanova turnovers.
Sugar Rodgers led the way for the Blue and Gray, scoring 19 points, including five threes— two of which came during the decisive 11-3 run that proved to be the difference in the game. The Hoyas’ only other scorer in double figures was Rubylee Wright, who chipped in 12 points of her own. Alexa Roche contributed nine huge points off the bench, including two crucial layups in the aforementioned 11-3 run.
Villanova was led by forward Laura Sweeney’s 16 points, nine rebounds, two blocks. Devon Kane added 10 points, three rebounds and three assists off the bench for the Wildcats, and was the team’s only other scorer in double figures.
The Hoyas have now won five of their last six games, and have positioned themselves well in the conference and for the NCAA Tournament in March. They have three more games on their regular season slate which will go a long way in determining their postseason prospects. Next up for Georgetown is a home game against middle-of-the-pack Providence.