Dec. 5, 2008
Box Score
Photo Gallery
Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University women's basketball team defeated the James Madison University Dukes (3-3) Friday evening in a showdown at McDonough Arena. In GU's toughest test of the season so far, the Hoyas showed poise beyond their years and managed to pull out the 62-59 victory. The Hoyas now improve to 7-1 on the season with one game before a break for finals.
Latia Magee (Jenks, Okla./Jenks) gave the Hoyas a quick lead, hitting a layup to start the half, but the advantage was quickly reversed as JMU came down and sank a three. The entire half proved to be a back-and-forth battle as neither team managed to take over with five ties and ten lead changes.
With the Dukes up by three early on, it was an 8-0 run that gave the Hoyas momentum and a five-point advantage, but that was quickly lost as JMU began to hit from beyond the arc. The squads swapped baskets for much of the half with the Hoyas forcing turnovers on defense and converting on offense but still never managing to break away.
With 25 seconds remaining, the score was once again tied after a layup from Adria Crawford (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison). Dawn Evans missed a three giving junior Kenya Kirkland the opportunity to outlet the ball after the rebound to a streaking Jaleesa Butler (St. Louis, Mo./Alton) who laid it in to hand the Hoyas a two-point lead going into the break.
"I thought we did an excellent job on Evans tonight," Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. "She came in averaging 30 points a game and I think we had a team effort in holding her below her average today. Rubylee did a fine job on her defensively to start, but it was a team effort tonight guarding her."
Magee led the Hoyas with 11 points in the half and sophomore Monica McNutt (Suitland, Md./Academy of the Holy Cross) contributed five as well as a team-high four boards. Despite a difference in size, Georgetown outrebounded the Dukes 19-13 and also forced 16 turnovers on eight steals. The Hoyas shot 36.7 percent for the half but allowed JMU to shoot 45.8 percent from the field.
Georgetown managed to keep control early in the second half as the squad looked down low and got some help from Magee beyond the arc. Free throws kept the Dukes close as the team pulled within two midway through the half and again at the seven minutes mark thanks to their work at the charity stripe.
After leading for the entire half, JMU took a one-point lead with five minutes to go as both teams knew it would come down to the closing seconds. A jumper from Amanda Reese (New Orleans, La./Episcopal School of Houston) put GU ahead once again and despite JMU's comeback, Reese laid another one in a minute later to once again lead.
"I thought our freshman did really well in the late-game situations they were faced with," Flournoy added. "Obviously Amanda hit some big free throws, they were really big for us at the end of the game."
The Hoya defense managed to disrupt the Dukes and shut the team down with the exception of a layup in the final two minutes. With ten seconds to go, Reese was fouled at the other end of the court and sank two free throws to give the Hoyas a three-point lead and the eventual 62-59 victory.
Magee led the Hoyas with 19 points and added six rebounds. Crawford contributed 11 points and seven rebounds while Reese had eight points and three rebounds going 2-3 from the line. Georgetown outrebounded James Madison, 39-34, and had three fewer turnovers on the night. GU had 15 steals and shot 37.5 percent in the game.
Georgetown will have a day's rest before traveling to Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday for a 2 p.m., contest in Richmond, Va. Live stats and a video feed will be available at the VCU website.
