Georgetown Doubleheader at McDonough

WASHINGTON — As wintry weather engulfed the nation’s capital last Saturday, an opportunity to catch a doubleheader at Georgetown’s McDonough Gymnasium arose.

The Hoyas’ women’s and men’s basketball teams hosted Delaware State on the women’s side and Saint Peter’s on the men’s.

An on-campus doubleheader made for a fun and convenient check-in on the current state of one of the most iconic brands in college basketball.

Women’s Basketball: Georgetown 60, Delaware State 46

The first game of the day featured the Georgetown women (7-3) against Delaware State (3-9).

The theme of the day was physicality, and Delaware State set the tone early with pace and plenty of contact in a chippy first quarter.

Georgetown held strong to secure a 19-16 edge after one.

In the second quarter, forward Brianna Scott, who finished with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double, helped the Hoyas match the Hornets’ physicality.

Scott credited her ability to play through contact to “Bertha,” the team’s blocking pad, during the postgame press conference. As Georgetown matched the Hornets’ energy, they also locked in defensively.

The Hoyas stayed disciplined in zone, cutting off dribble penetration and forcing tough perimeter looks, and Delaware State couldn’t buy a bucket from beyond the arc, finishing 0-for-13 from 3-point range.

Combine that defensive effort with balanced scoring as Khia Miller had 15 points, Scott added 12, and Victoria Rivera chipped in nine, and you get a recipe for coach Darnell Haney’s 101st career win.

After the win, Haney addressed the team’s adjustments and responded to a question about the Georgetown brand, as Georgetown is in the midst of a recent buzz around its women’s program over the last few years.

Coach Haney said he wants to “put the DMV in a chokehold” when it comes to recruiting locally.

The Hoyas currently roster four players from the greater D.C area, and continued success in keeping high-level local prospects home would be a monumental boost for the program, though competition in the region remains fierce with other talented collegiate programs.

Still, we are optimistic about what Georgetown is building on the women’s side over here at DoB. If you’re in the area, it’s a product worth seeing in person.

Men’s Basketball: Georgetown 76, Saint Peter’s 68

Shortly after the women’s press conference wrapped up, the Georgetown (8-3) men took the floor against Saint Peter’s (4-5) in a game that told a much different story.

Despite entering as 18.5-point favorites, the Hoyas found themselves in a dogfight. Georgetown was the more talented team, and coach Ed Cooley said postgame that talent ultimately carried them through, but the Peacocks were up to the challenge.

Saint Peter’s leaned on veteran guards Bryce Eaton and Brent Bland, who combined for 36 points. Bland had a clean look at the buzzer with a chance to win it in regulation.

Turnovers plagued Georgetown as Saint Peter’s applied pressure, and the Hoyas struggled from deep, shooting 4-for-16 from 3-point range. However, rebounding proved to be the difference in this contest.

Behind key efforts on the glass from Caleb Williams and Julius Halaifonua, who also led the team in scoring, Georgetown survived a rockfight of a basketball game, pulling out a 76-68 win.

It was far from a performance the Hoyas want to remember, and one that the team and coaching staff were clearly unhappy with. However, it was still a win.
An ugly win like this actually is a marker of progress in the Cooley era. A Georgetown team capable of winning games even when things aren’t pretty isn’t something we saw in the seasons right before Cooley’s arrival.

Between this result and Wednesday’s win over Marquette, the Hoyas have shown fight, talent, and resilience. The glaring concern remains outside shooting, a limitation that caps the team’s ceiling unless it improves.

Final Takeaway

Overall, it was a 2-0 day for Georgetown basketball. If you’re in the area, take the time to stop by McDonough and see the progress firsthand. There’s plenty brewing at Georgetown, and District of Buckets will be there to cover it.