Feb. 1, 2008
Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University women's basketball team (11-9, 1-6 BE) starts the month of February against No. 22 Syracuse (17-3, 5-2 BE) on Saturday afternoon, February 2 at 3 p.m. inside McDonough Arena Live audio and video with Chuck Timanus and Dana Simonelli on the call along with live stats are available at ww.guhoyas.com. Georgetown has lost two straight and five of its last seven. Syracuse is having a historic season and is currently ranked 22nd in both the USA Today and ESPN Coaches Poll. It is the first time in the program's history it has been ranked. SU's 17 wins are the most victories since the 2001-02 season. The Orange, 6-2 on the road this season and 2-0 in neutral site games, boasts four players in double-figures. The Hoyas are coming off a hard-fought 60-55 loss at Marquette on Wednesday night. It was a bit of an adventurous trip to Milwaukee. The team was originally scheduled to fly to Milwaukee Tuesday night around 7 p.m. Due to wintry conditions in the midwest, the team's Tuesday night flight was cancelled. Georgetown didn't end up flying to Milwaukee until 6:40 a.m. on Wednesday. The team bus left campus at 5 a.m., flew out at 6:40 (1:25 minute flight) and got to the hotel around 9 a.m. local time. GU's shootaround was from 12:30 - 1:30 with tip-off set for 7 p.m. local time, 8 p.m. eastern. The Hoyas flew home as scheduled on Thursday morning arriving on campus around 11 a.m. Hoyas in the Series vs. Syracuse ... The all-time series is tied, 23-23. Syracuse has won two of the last three meetings but GU has won six of the last eight. Georgtetown and Syracuse have been paired for the home-and-home series this season. The Hoyas had won ten straight home games here in McDonough Arena until the Orange won 65-58 last season on Feb. 17. Shanice Not Suffering from Sophomore Jinx ... Sophomore guard Shanice Fuller started at point guard in every game last season as a freshman. Fuller finished her rookie campaign averaging 5.0 points to go along with 83 assists and 95 turnovers.
As a sophomore this season, Fuller ranks 10th in the BIG EAST with 3.7 assists per game and she has compiled 50 assists vs. 32 turnovers in the last 12 games. The Chesapeake, Va. native compiled 75 assists already this season (83 last year) despite coming off the bench in all but six games. Fuller has been in the starting lineup in each of the last five games, averaging 6.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists while compiling a team best eight steals during the stretch. McNutt Is On a Tear ... Freshman Monica McNutt has led the team in scoring in each of the last two games. She came off the bench for 13 points at West Virginia before Wednesday when, in her first career start, she set career highs with 21 points and six three-pointers. She came off the bench and averaged 13.0 points on 55 percent shooting 2.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in the Hokie Hardwood Classic at Virginia Tech. McNutt set then career-highs with 15 points and three three-pointers in the loss vs. East Carolina before netting 11 points to go along with three treys, three steals and three blocks in 20 minutes in the win over Furman. McNutt, who was named Washington Post Honorable Mention All-Met during her days at the Academy of the Holy Cross, scored 26 points over that weekend after scoring 23 points through the team's first 10 games. McNutt is averaging 9.6 points on 47 percent shooting, including 18-44 from three point land in the last ten games to go along with 14 steals and 10 blocks in the span. Scouting Syracuse ... Syracuse (17-3, 5-2 BE) boasts the best start after 20 games in the history of the program. SU's 17 wins is the most for the team since the 2001-02 season. The Orange won a school-record 12 straight games from Nov. 25 through Jan.5. The team is ranked in the top 25 for the first time in the program's history. Four SU players are averaging in double figures, Baltimore native Chandrea Jones (16.7), sophomore Nicole Michael (13.1), senior Fantasia Goodwin (13.0) and freshman Erica Morrow (11.6). |
