Dec. 28, 2007
Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University women's basketball team (8-2) plays its final two games of the 2007 calendar year in the Hokie Hardwood Classic this weekend at Virginia Tech. The Hoyas will square off against East Carolina (5-6) on Saturday, December 29 at 1 p.m. GU will take on either Furman (4-6, 0-2 SoCon) or the host Hokies (10-2, 0-0 ACC) on Sunday, December 30 at 1 pm or 3:30 p.m.
Georgetown has won eight of it last nine games, including its first five home games. The Hoyas have held their last six opponents under 57 points and rank sixth in the BIG EAST in scoring defense (52.3 ppg).
Saturday will mark Georgetown's first gameday since December 22.
Georgetown has started the season 8-2 for the first time under fourth year head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy. The Hoyas will look to start 9-2 for the first time since 2002-03 when the Pat Knapp-coached Hoyas started 11-2 and finished 15-14.
Hoyas in the Series vs. East Carolina... The schools have never met.
Fast Breaks ... When at least three players score in double figures, the Hoyas are 7-0.
-- Georgetown ranks sixth in the BIG EAST and 17th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 52.3 points per game. The Hoyas have held their opponents to under 50 points in three of the last four games.
-- Georgetown is 7-0 when they outrebound their opponent.
-- GU has had a higher field goal percentage than its opponent in nine of the ten games this season.
-- In seven of the team's ten games, the starting five has been the same - Kristin Heidloff, Brina Pollack and Kenya Kirkland at the guards, Kieraah Marlow at forward and Aminata Diop at center. Sophomore Jaleesa Butler earned her first career start vs. VCU and started in both the Loyola Marymount and East Tenn. State games. Butler replaced Kristin Heidloff vs. VCU to give the Hoyas a little more length and Butler stayed in the starting lineup vs. LMU and ETSU. Senior guard Kristin Heidloff missed the LMU and ETSU games after being hit the face with an elbow during practice on December 18. Both of her eyes were significantly black-and-blue and she'll be questionable for this week's Virginia Tech tournament, despite the fact that she'll be wearing a mask. The LMU & ETSU contests were the first games in Heidloff's career that she missed.
-- Junior guard Kristin Heidloff ranks third on the school's all-time list with a career three-point field goal percentage of .364 (133-365). Heidloff is 11-23 (.478) from long range so far this season. Her 133 career three-pointers ranks sixth all-time in Georgetown annals. She is six treys shy of tying Kate Carlin (139) for fifth place all-time. Heidloff ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in three-point field-goal percentage (.478).
-- Senior forward Kieraah Marlow now has 1,379 career points and ranks sixth on the school's all-time scoring list. Marlow, who earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors in each of the last two seasons, is one of four Hoya players to rank on the school's top 10 lists in both scoring and rebounding. The Coatesville, Pa. native has tallied double figures 74 times in her career. Her 26 career double-doubles ranks third among active BIG EAST players and she ranks tenth in the league in scoring (16.0 ppg). She's led the team in scoring seven times this season.
-- Senior 6-5 center Aminata Diop, a transfer from Southeastern Illinois J.C., averaged 6.1points and 5.3 rebounds a year ago in her first season in the Blue and Gray. The native of Senegal, on the western coast of Africa, hit 45 percent of her field goals and notched two double-doubles last season. Diop, who speaks four languages, English, French, Dutch and Wolof (native to Senegal) had her third career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds vs. Navy. In the last seven games, Diop is averaging 10.2 points on 58 percent shooting (29-50) to go along with 5.0 rebounds.
-- Sophomore forward Jaleesa Butler has been a nice boost in the post through the first ten games. Butler had her first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds at Towson. The St. Louis, Mo. native leads the team with 6.5 rebounds per game and ranks fourth on the squad with 7.5 points. Butler posted the best offensive game of her career with 20 points and nine field goals vs. LMU. Butler had her second career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds last time out vs. ETSU and is averaging 14.0 points and 6.6 boards in the last three games.
-- Freshman Monica McNutt had the best game of her young career vs. ETSU setting new career highs with eight points and four field goals.
Scouting East Carolina ... East Carolina (5-6), the defending C-USA Tournament champions, returns three starters and more than 65 percent of the teams scoring and rebounding from a year ago. Junior guards Jasmine Young (2008 Preseason All-C-USA) and LaCoya Terry (2007 C-USA Tourney MVP) led the Pirates in scoring with 15.3 points and 14.1 points, respectively.
East Carolina lost ot Virginia Commonwealth, 64-53 on December 1. VCU is the only common opponent for both ECU and Georgetown.
