Feb. 28, 2009
Box Score
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In women's basketball action on Saturday, Feb. 28, the Villanova Wildcats rallied from a nine point second half deficit to tally a 58-53 win over the host Georgetown Hoyas. The victory snapped Villanova's three-game losing streak and improved the Wildcats to 18-11 overall and 10-5 in Big East play. The loss ended Georgetown's four-game winning streak and dropped the Hoyas to 17-11 overall and 7-8 in conference action.
Villanova trailed 40-31 with 12:22 to play in the second half, when the Wildcats started their comeback. The `Cats would hold the Hoyas without a field goal for over 10 minutes and use a 16-1 run to grab a 47-41 advantage at the 5:00 minute mark. In the run, senior Laura Kurz netted seven points and junior guard Tia Grant added six points. A lay-up by Kurz with 7:01 to play gave Villanova the lead for good.
After the Wildcats opened up the 47-41 lead, the Hoyas would cut the advantage to four on five different occasions and three once in the game's final five minutes. However, Villanova's clutch foul shooting helped the Wildcats secure the win. In the final 55 seconds, Villanova was an impressive 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. Senior guard Siobhan O'Connor secured the win when she connected on two free throws with seven seconds remaining to give her team the 58-53 lead.
Georgetown started the game strong, racing to a 10-3 lead just four minutes into the contest. The Wildcats would take their first lead of the game at 18-17 with 5:13 left in the first stanza, before the Hoyas used a 9-4 spurt the rest of the half to lead 26-22 at intermission. Villanova sophomore center Heather Scanlon kept the Wildcats in the game in the first half with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. At one point in the first half, Scanlon had a stretch where she scored 11 of Villanova's 14 points. The Hoyas made four field goals from behind the arc and committed just three first half turnovers en route the halftime lead.
In the win, Scanlon led the Wildcats with a career-high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and a 3-of-3 effort from the foul line. The eight field goals also represent a career-high. Grant added a season-best 12 points, including a 3-of-3 effort from three-point range. Kurz chipped in with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while senior forward Lisa Karcic had eight points, nine rebounds, four blocks, two assists and a steal.
The Hoyas were paced by Jaleesa Butler with 18 points and Karee Houlette with 12 points.
Villanova will close out the 2008-09 regular season at home on Monday, March 2 against South Florida. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
NOTES: Laura Kurz has scored in double figures in 25 straight games...With her 11 point, 11 rebound performance, Kurz now has eight career double-doubles...Villanova's 10 Big East wins marks the 15th time in program history that the Wildcats have tallied double figure conference victories...Senior guard Siobhan O'Connor 30-of-34 from the foul line for .882 in the final two minutes of games this season...Saturday's win over the Hoyas was Villanova's first at Georgetown since the 2001-02 season.
