Feb. 23, 2011
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
WASHINGTON - The No. 18/19 Georgetown University women's basketball squad snapped a two-game skid Wednesday evening downing the University of Pittsburgh Panthers (13-14, 5-9 BIG EAST), 67-57, at McDonough Arena. After struggling in the first half, the Hoyas had a big second half to improve to 21-7 overall and 9-5 in BIG EAST play.
"In the first half we weren't rebounding and that hurt everything we tried to do on offense," said Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy. "We weren't making big mistakes, but we were doing a lot of little things that needed to be fixed."
Sophomore Sugar Rodgers (Suffolk, Va./King's Fork) scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half and the Hoyas shot over 50 percent from the field and from three in the second period.
Junior Alexa Roche (Bellmore, N.Y./St. Michael's Academy) made herself known in the second half after hitting two treys, scoring eight points and pulling down five boards. Roche ended the first half with a half-court bank shot that pulled the Hoyas within four at the break.
"Tonight Alexa played like she should have been playing for the first 27 games of the season," said Williams-Flournoy. "We need her to step up and play like this because it makes us a more dangerous team."
A 15-2 run late in the second sealed it for Georgetown as the Hoyas held the Panthers with just one field goal in a 12-minute span. The run included three-consecutive threes by Rodgers.
The first half was a different story as the Blue & Gray struggled from the field trailing, 29-25, at the break after falling behind by as much as nine.
Junior Tommacina McBride (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) kept the Hoyas in the game scoring 10 of her 12 points in the first half and pulling down three boards.
Rodgers led the GU with 16 points, while Roche added 13 points and six rebounds.
Georgetown was narrowly outrebounded, 36-33, but pulled down 19 offensive boards. On defense, GU forced Pitt into 27 turnovers on 17 steals including six from Rodgers, five by Tia Magee (Tulsa, Okla./Jenks) and four from Roche.
The Blue & Gray will be back in action on Saturday as the Hoyas host No. 1/1 Connecticut in Georgetown's final regular season home contest. The game will be televised live in Hartford, Conn., on Connecticut Public Television.
Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Live stats and a webcast will be available at www.GUHoyas.com.
