WASHINGTON – The Georgetown University women's basketball team held on for a big 82-80 victory over the St. John's Red Storm (14-14, 7-10 BIG EAST) Sunday afternoon at McDonough Arena in a BIG EAST Conference matchup.  With the win the Hoyas improve to 13-14 overall and 7-9 in BIG EAST Conference play with two games remaining in the regular season.
 
With 31 seconds remaining in the game, St. John's hit a 3-pointer to pull within one 79-78.  Georgetown called timeout and set up a play to hold the ball with 21 seconds remaining and the shot clock off.  This forced SJU to foul and graduate student Mikayla Venson (Arlington, Va. / Yorktown / Virginia) went to the line hitting both.  On the next possession, the Red Storm scored a layup but the inbounds went to Venson who was fouled again.  She hit 1 of 2 which would be enough resulting in the 82-80 final.
 
"Today was all about our seniors, we always try to send our kids out with a win and this was about them," said Georgetown Head Coach James Howard.  "You always want to see your seniors have success in their last game in the gym, and I know they came to play today.  They dug deep in the end, you could see it in their eyes and we have to thank them for their contributions today and to the program as a whole."
 
On Senior Day, it was the three honored in the pregame ceremony that stepped up.  Senior guard Dionna White (Baltimore, Md. / Milford Mill) and graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako (Midlothian, Va. / Cosby) both led the team with 29 points apiece.  It was a career high for Adomako and moved White into the No. 2 position on GU's all-time scoring list. Adomako pulled down nine boards to lead the team, and White managed seven to go along with three steals.  Rounding out those in double figures was Venson who notched 19 points hitting clutch free throws down the stretch.  The three combined for 77 of GU's 82 points in the game.
 
Both teams had 35 rebounds apiece, and both committed 11 turnovers on the afternoon.  The Hoyas were credited with seven steals while St. John's managed five.  Georgetown shot 44.6 percent (25 of 56) for the game including 50.0 percent (9 of 18) from beyond the arc.  The Red Storm shot 45.9 percent (28 of 61) in the game.
 
The win gave the Hoyas a victory in the long series with the Red Storm.  Georgetown had not won in 10 games dating back to the 2013-14 season.
 
The Hoyas went into the game fired up as Adomako nailed a 3-pointer in the opening minute, SJU answered back but GU was on a roll as Adomako managed the three-point play.  Georgetown continued to battle as Venson and junior Anita Kelava (Zagreb, Croatia / Croatian National Team / Maine) knocked down jumpers before another three-point play by Adomako made it a 7-2 run to put the score at 13-5.
 
St. John's would come back cutting it to four midway through the stanza.  Looking at the 15-10 advantage, it was Venson that sank a trey before the Red Storm answered on the other end of the floor.  Adomako and White combined for the 5-0 run to make the score 23-13 before another SJU three.  GU's hot shooting would continue with triples from White and Venson as the Blue & Gray went on an 8-1 run to end the quarter leading 32-20.  Georgetown shot an impressive 83.3 percent from beyond the arc in the quarter going 5 of 6.
 
The Red Storm scored first in the second quarter, but back-to-back buckets from White and Adomako made it a 14-point lead.  A 5-0 SJU run cut it to single digits, but White would stop the momentum with a trey.  This sparked a run to put the Blue & Gray back on top by 15 following a pair of made free throws from White.  However, the Red Storm weren't done as they answered back with a 5-0 run of their own.
 
Down the stretch of the first half, White would trade baskets with the Red Storm to keep it a double-digit advantage.  With three seconds to go in the half, SJU sank a jumper on the baseline to make it 49-40 at the break.
 
It was the Red Storm that came out hot in the second half as the team scored five quick points.  GU answered with a put back from Venson, but a 3-pointer and a layup by SJU made it 52-50 as the Red Storm closed the gap.  White ended the momentum with a put back of her own, but SJU cut it to two.  On the other end Venson knocked down a triple as the Blue & Gray clung to a small advantage.
 
With just a minute remaining in the third, the Red Storm pulled down two-consecutive offensive rebounds.  The Hoya defense was solid and eventually White was fouled on the third long rebound sending her to the charity stripe to nail a pair.  The defense came up with a stop and Adomako pulled down the rebound going coast-to-coast to draw the conventional three-point play making it 64-56 at the end of the third period.
 
It was Adomako who made a jumper to open the final stanza, as the defense came up with stops senior Brianna Jones (North Babylon, N.Y. / North Babylon) knocked down a 3-pointer from the baseline to force a Red Storm timeout and send the crowd into a frenzy.  SJU scored out of the timeout, but the Blue & Gray bettered them with an Adomako three under pressure.
 
St. John's would not go away quietly as the Red Storm went on a 5-0 run forcing a Hoya timeout.  The defense came up with stops, but could not find a bucket on the other end as SJU free throws made it 74-70 with two minutes remaining.  With the shot clock winding down, Adomako was fouled at the elbow and hit 1 of 2.  GU got the offensive rebound, but a turnover gave it back to the Red Storm who converted a layup.
 
Adomako continued her big game hitting a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession, but the Red Storm managed a 1 of 2 performance on the other end.  The rebound went to Adomako who got it up the floor as SJU began to foul for possession.  Both free throws rolled out and the Red Storm scored to make it a two-point game.  St. John's set up the press and fouled Venson as she fought through the trap.  The senior went to the line and calmly hit both free throws to make it 79-75 with 36 seconds remaining.  This would set up the exciting conclusion.
                                                      
Georgetown will close our league play next weekend as the squad travels to Butler and Xavier.  The Blue & Gray will face the Bulldogs on Friday evening at 7 p.m. at Hinkle Fieldhouse.  The game will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN) and live stats will be available at www.GUHoyas.com.
 
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