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WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University women's basketball squad held on to down the Villanova University Wildcats (11-10, 6-4 BIG EAST), 54-49, on Saturday afternoon at McDonough Arena. It was a team effort to improve the Hoyas to 13-7 overall and 5-5 in BIG EAST play.

"We wanted to attack today, and open up the floor," said Georgetown Head Coach Natasha Adair. "We noticed from the last game to this game, that it was there so we worked on it and adjusted some plays to really open it up.

"Our players locked in today defensively. We want to hold opponents under their average, that's when we have success. The first time we played, they had 71 points today they had 49 and it was 100 percent team defense."

Two Hoyas scored in double figures as sophomore guard Dionna White (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill) led the way with 21 points and three steals going a perfect 9-of-9 from the line. Senior forward Faith Woodard (Brandon, Fla./Freedom) added 12 points and seven rebounds as well as five blocks in the contest. Junior forward Cynthia Petke (Yaounde, Cameroon/-/Chipola College) pulled down a squad-best 11 rebounds for the Blue & Gray.

The Hoyas outrebounded the Wildcats, 46-35, including an 18-8 advantage on the offensive glass. Georgetown shot 29.5 percent (18-of-61) from the field, and allowed Villanova 34.0 percent (17-of-50) shooting. The Blue & Gray forced 14 Villanova turnovers on eight steals, and committed just 13 turnovers in the contest.

Woodard opened the game with a block on defense and a 3-pointer on the other end. However, the hot-shooting Wildcats answered right back and built a seven-point lead, 12-5. Both teams went through a three-minute drought before another `Nova trey made it a 10-point game.

White had an answer on the other end and in the final minute as she added a three-point play to make it 15-10 at the end of the first.

White began the second quarter with a steal outside the arc and a layup to pull the Blue & Gray within three. The Wildcats wouldn't go away as the squad put together a quick 6-0 run to move ahead by nine. Senior guard Mykia Jones (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook/Wake Forest) ended the momentum with a trey on the run and a steal from junior guard DiDi Burton (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore City College) resulted in a three-point play by Woodard making it 21-18 in favor of Villanova.

Every time Georgetown made it a one-possession game, Villanova found a way to come right back. Senior guard Jade Martin (Bloomington, Minn./John F. Kennedy) was strong in the middle, and Petke added a layup to spark a GU comeback. Woodard tallied a layup and a pair of free throws by White tied the game at 26 with a minute remaining. That score would stand entering the break.

After a free throw from `Nova to start the second half, White hit a jumper and Burton drove the lane to give the Hoyas their first lead since the beginning of the game, 30-27. Villanova used free throws to answer back and then tied the game back up at 32.

The lead continued to go back and forth as free throws kept the Wildcats within striking distance. On the final possession of the quarter, the Hoyas battled for four offensive rebounds to hold onto the ball and the 40-36 advantage at the end of the third.

Villanova cut it to one on a trey to begin the final stanza, but a three-point play from Martin held onto the slight lead. The Wildcats hit a late 3-pointer to take the lead, but White knocked down a pair of free throws and then took it to the basket to make it 50-47 in favor of the Blue & Gray.

White's free throws made it a five-point game with 2:13 remaining, but a VU trey cut it to three on the next possession. Georgetown had chances, but huge defensive stops gave the Blue & Gray the ball with 39 seconds remaining. Junior guard Dorothy Adomako (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) took it to the rack with 18 seconds to play, and the layup rolled in to seal the 54-49 victory.

The Hoyas will be back in action next weekend as the squad hosts Providence College on Friday at noon, and Creighton University on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both game will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network and live stats will be available at www.GUHoyas.com.

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