2nd chance points push Tigers past Asbury

#18 Georgetown traveled to Crestview Hills, KY to play in the Julie Costello Classic at Thomas More University on Friday afternoon. While the Tigers struggled from the perimeter against Asbury, rebounding made up the difference in a 70-60 win over the Eagles.

Georgetown (4-2) and Asbury (4-3) traded the lead 5 times in the 1st quarter with neither team able to gain more than a 4-point lead. A late jumper from Lisa Suljemani gave the Tigers a 17-16 lead after 1. It took the Tigers nearly 3 minutes into the 2nd quarter before connecting from the field, yet Asbury could not sustain a lead thanks to stellar Georgetown defense. The quarter proved similar to the 1st as neither team could find consistent offense, thus a narrow margin the game stayed all the way to the half with Asbury leading 33-32 at the break.

An Izzy Lamparty lay-in early in the 3rd gave the Tigers a 36-35 lead. It proved to be part of a 14-5 Tiger run that saw the lead swell to 48-40 with 4:22 left in the 3rd. The teams would trade baskets again in the 3rd, but Asbury would not draw any closer than 4, as Georgetown took a 52-47 lead into the final 10 minutes. The Eagles came out quick in the 4th, cutting the Tiger lead down to 2 just a minute in. The margin was 53-51 in favor of Georgetown at that point, but those Eagle points would be the last for 5 minutes, 20 seconds. Georgetown would go on an 10-0 run during the Asbury scoring drought to build a 63-51 lead with 3:40 left, before Asbury would score again. The Eagles would draw no closer than 9 the rest of the way as Georgetown picked up the 70-60 win.

While the Tigers shot just 2-16 from 3, they pulled down 12 offensive rebounds that led directly to 16 2nd chance points. The Tigers also had a +11 margin at the free throw line on the night to make up for the cold outside shooting. Izzy Lamparty led the Tigers in scoring with 14, while Erin Toller pitched in 13. Madison Darnell pulled down 10 rebounds, while Sophie Smith and Erin Toller each grabbed 7 boards.

The Tigers are next in action on Saturday afternoon in Crestview Hills as they take on Southeastern (FL) with a scheduled 1:00pm tip.