The Georgetown women’s basketball team has reached its first-ever Big East Tournament finals. The Hoyas advanced to Monday’s championship by defeating Creighton 55-46 for its sixth straight win. Unfortunately, the victory came with a loss, as Big East Sixth Woman of the Year Brianna Scott suffered an apparent knee injury in the game’s final minute.

Scott fell awkwardly chasing down a loose ball after a Hoyas’ inbound. She immediately grabbed her knee as she lay on the ground. Her emotions painted an awful scene.

She was helped off the court as her mother, former Maryland Terrapin and current broadcaster Christy Winters-Scott, walked by her side. Scott finished with eight points and four rebounds.

Immediately afterward, her concerned teammates shifted their focus to the historic victory, celebrating the win on its late head coach’s birthday. Tasha Butts passed away in October.

Interim head coach Darnell Hanley was doused with water as he entered a joyous locker room. The jubilation carried over to the team placing its sticker in the championship game on the tournament’s bracket.

The Hoyas chose Scott to place the sticker on the bracket. She was wheeled out in a wheelchair with her right knee in a brace with ice on it.

Scott threw her hands up in celebration, but the realization of what she may face was written all over her face. Teammate Graceann Bennett shook Scott’s hand in support.

Georgetown has not announced Scott’s injury or status moving forward. The Hoyas face top-seeded Connecticut in Monday’s championship. The winner gets an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.

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The Georgetown Hoyas women’s basketball team got picked to finish 10th in the Big East Conference this season. The team is now one win away from winning the league’s tournament.

Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year Kelsey Ransom scored 14 points and dished six assists as Georgetown rolled past No. 21 Creighton 55-46 to advance to the program’s first Big East Tournament final.

Alex Cowan added 12 points, and Graceann Bennett had eight points and 11 rebounds to help lead the Hoyas.

Georgetown’s defense stifled Creighton. The Blue Jays shot a dismal 26.3% from the field, including 19.2% from three-point range.

Georgetown, who led 26-23 at halftime, opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run. The Hoyas’ surge prompted Creighton head coach Jim Flanery to sub his entire starting lineup midway through the third quarter, looking for a spark for the Blue Jays.

The momentary jolt didn’t last long. The Blue Jays starters failed to score in the third quarter. Georgetown cruised to victory.

Georgetown has overcome a great loss ahead of its improbable run

The Hoyas’ win comes on the 42nd birthday of its late head coach Tasha Butts. Butts was named the head coach last April. However, she passed away in October due to breast cancer.

The Georgetown players learned of the significance of the day after the game. The team rallied behind interim head coach Darnell Haney. Sunday’s win was Georgetown’s sixth consecutive and improved the team to a 22-10 overall record, strengthening their case for an at-large bid.

The Hoyas have beaten both the No. 2 seed (Creighton) and No. 3 seed (St. John’s) on the path to Monday’s championship game. Georgetown will face powerhouse and top-seeded Connecticut. The Huskies (28-5) beat Providence by 33 points on Saturday and Marquette 58-29 in Sunday’s semifinal.

Hoyas win bittersweet with injury to Brianna Scott

Unfortunately, the win for Georgetown didn’t come without concern. Brianna Scott, the Big East Sixth Woman of the Year, exited the game with just over one minute remaining with an apparent knee injury.

Scott fell awkwardly to the ground chasing a loose ball from an inbounds. Scott had made four late-game free throws just before her injury. The win will place Georgetown in a historic place. Sure, the team is concerned with Scott’s injury.

She lay on the court for several moments, writhing in obvious pain. Trainers helped her off the court with her mother, Christy Winters-Scott, walking beside her. Scott was unable to put any weight on the injured leg.

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Emanuel Miller drained a running three-pointer at the buzzer to give undefeated TCU a thrilling 84-83 win over Georgetown in Washington, D.C., on Saturday evening. However, on further review, Miller’s game-winner shouldn’t have counted.

Georgetown broke an 81-81 tie with two free throws from guard Jayden Epps. TCU had to go the length of the court. The Horned Frogs did just that with a heave to Miller, who got the shot off in time.

But on further review, it appeared Miller stepped out of bounds after the catch. The officials missed the call, and because they did not call Miller out of bounds in real-time, the missed call could not get overturned during the review.

The college basketball world reacted to the controversial ending.

Georgetown’s head coach, Ed Cooley, took the high road about the officiating following the heartbreaking loss.

“We had three of the best officials in America on our game today,” Cooley said, per Bobby Bancroft of Casual Hoya. “High-level officials, Final Four officials, Regional Final officials. The game is not defined by one play, and that’s what everybody is gonna talk about.

“We had opportunities throughout the game. We missed a lot of free throws, [and] missed a couple of blackouts. Everybody’s always gonna think of the last play, ‘What could’ve, should’ve.’ Give [TCU] credit. They had to throw the pass. The kid caught it. And made the shot.”

However, Cooley thinks there is a need to re-evaluate the rule, which prohibits the officials from reviewing whether Miller stepped out.

Georgetown (5-3) rallied after trailing by 15 in the second half to eventually take a 64-63 lead with nine minutes remaining with an Epps layup. The two teams traded leads until the epic ending.

Epps led the Hoyas with 24 points and five assists. Meanwhile, Miller’s big shot capped off a fantastic night for the star forward. He was the leading scorer with 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting, including three treys.

The Hoyas will have to dusk off the disappointing loss and prepare for its former Big East rival, Syracuse, who will visit next Saturday.

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Georgetown University announced Monday that women’s basketball head coach Tasha Butts passed away at 41 years old. Butts was diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer in 2021.

Georgetown named Butts the head coach in April after she spent 17 seasons as an assistant coach. She stepped away from her head coach duties last month to deal with her condition.

“I am heartbroken for Tasha’s family, friends, players, teammates and colleagues,” Lee Reed, Georgetown’s director of intercollegiate athletics, said in a statement. “When I met Tasha, I knew she was a winner on the court and an incredible person whose drive, passion, and determination was second to none. She exhibited these qualities both as a leader and in her fight against breast cancer. This is a difficult time for the entire Georgetown community, and we will come together to honor her memory.”

Butts played collegiately at the University of Tennessee. During her four seasons, the Volunteers won four SEC championships and reached four Final Fours under legendary coach Pat Summit. As a senior, Butts averaged 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds.

Butts was a second-round draft pick of the Minnesota Lynx. After her professional career, she entered coaching in 2007. She was an assistant at Duquesne, UCLA, and LSU. In 2019, Butts was named the associate head coach at Georgia Tech.

Darnell Haney will serve as the interim head coach for the upcoming season that starts next month.

Tasha Butts is survived by her parents, Spencer Sr. and Evelyn, her brother Spencer Jr. and her nephew Marquis, an extended family and a mourning women’s basketball community that Butts impacted over the past 22 years.

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Georgetown women’s basketball head coach Tasha Butts is stepping away from the team to focus on her ongoing battle against breast cancer, the school announced Thursday. Associate head coach Darnell Haney will lead the Hoyas in Butts’ absence.

Butts was diagnosed with an advanced stage of breast cancer in 2021. Her diagnosis inspired the Tasha Tough campaign that brought awareness and raised money to “bring quality care” to women who can’t afford services through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

She became the Hoyas head coach in April following the dismissal of James Howard.

Butts spent four years as the associate head coach at Georgia Tech under head coach Nell Fortner. She had been an assistant going back to 2007 at Duquesne. She also had stops at UCLA and LSU.

Before her coaching career, Butts played collegiately at Tennessee. She was a second-round draft pick of the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. She appeared in all 30 games as a rookie. Her playing career also extended overseas to Portugal and Israel.

Butts took over the Georgetown program, looking to get the Hoyas to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012.

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Rumors surfaced last week questioning the future of Georgetown forward Akok Akok. Late Thursday night, those rumors became a fact, as Akok entered the transfer portal. He wasted no time making his decision.

According to Joe Tipton of On3, Akok has committed to West Virginia.

Akok arrived at Georgetown last year as a transfer after three seasons at the University of Connecticut. He started 31 games with the Hoyas last season under then-head coach Patrick Ewing. He averaged 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.

Akok appeared set to start next season under new head coach Ed Cooley. However, as a graduate transfer, teams continue their pursuit to get the 6-foot-10 big man to transfer. In the era of the NIL, the Musketeers presented Akok with an opportunity to finish his collegiate career.

West Virginia was forced to turn to the transfer portal after a mass exodus of players following the June resignation of head coach Bob Huggins. Josh Eilert has taken on in the interim and went to work trying to piece together a roster for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

The loss of Akok is a blow for Ed Cooley in his first year as the Hoyas’ head coach. Yet, his departure won’t make or break Georgetown’s season.

Incoming transfer Ismael Massoud and freshman Drew Fielder should shoulder the load in the aftermath.

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Georgetown Hoyas head coach Ed Cooley picked up another recruiting win. Class of 2024 four-star forward Caleb Williams announced his commitment to Georgetown on Sunday.

Williams is rising the rankings as a senior at Sidwell Friends in Washington, D.C. He also plays for the famed Team Takeover in AAU. Currently, he is 101st in the nation by 247 Sports Composite rankings.

At 6-foot-7, Williams is described as a versatile wing player. He can score inside, mid-range, and from the perimeter. He can also create his own shot and create for others.

He told Joe Tipton of On3 that he can play positions 1-4 on both ends of the floor.

Caleb Williams said his relationship with Ed Cooley was a determining factor for his commitment to Georgetown.

“The relationship we created in such a short span of time is something I have been looking for in a coach since this process started,” Williams told Tipton.

The chance to play at home and turn the Hoyas’ program around was also a factor.

“The one thing that other schools couldn’t offer me was being able to win at home, and that was a huge factor in choosing Georgetown,” he said.

Williams chose Georgetown over Villanova, Michigan, Indiana, Syracuse, Virginia, and Miami.

Georgetown now has three commits for the 2024 class. The Hoyas have secured another 6-foot-7 forward Drew McKenna and four-star center Thomas Sober.

McKenna and Sober each shared their excitement for Williams on social media.

Since taking over as head coach in March, Cooley has focused on making Georgetown a major player in recruiting, particularly within the DMV region.

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Georgetown Hoyas head coach Ed Cooley was cooking on Tuesday. First, he landed his first commitment from the DMV area with four-start small forward Drew McKenna. Then, Cooley secured another pivotal pickup from the transfer portal. Former Fairfield center Supreme Cook announced his commitment to Georgetown.

Last season, the 6-foot-9 center averaged 13.3 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 54.4% from the field in 31 games. He was third-team All-MAAC.

Cook strengthens the Hoyas’ frontcourt. He also gives Georgetown the starting cent that they desperately needed. Qudus Wahab has moved once again taking his 9.6 points and 7.1 rebounds to Penn State. Akok Akok, a UConn transfer, last year averaged 6.5 points and 6.2 rebounds.

Georgetown pried Ed Cooley from its Big East rival Providence. Cooley has revamped the roster with only three confirmed holdovers from the previous season under Patrick Ewing.

Cook is the fifth transfer for Cooley, joining guards Jayden Epps (Illinois), and Rowan Brumbaugh (Texas), and forwards Dontrez Styles (North Carolina) and Ismael Massoud (Kansas State). While the other four transfers are coming from situations where they did not play significant minutes, that is not the case for Cook.

After performing well on the mid-major level, Cook gets to prove himself in a Power 6 conference. Georgetown was 2-39 in the Big East the last two seasons combined, including the conference tournament. While there may be a period of feeling out, Cooley has constructed a compelling roster in his first year.

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Georgetown men’s basketball head coach Ed Cooley made a big splash on Tuesday, securing his first commitment from the DMV area since becoming the head coach in March. Four-star small forward Drew McKenna out of Glenelg Country (Ellicott City, Maryland) chose Georgetown over two Big East Conference rivals, Xavier and Butler.

The 6-foot-7 McKenna was rated as the No. 1 player in Maryland and 58th nationally for the 2024 class, according to 247 Sports composite rankings. However, McKenna announced he is reclassifying to the 2023 class and enrolling at Georgetown in the fall.

Cooley had primarily revamped the Hoyas roster through the transfer portal, landing guards Jayden Epps (Illinois) and Rowan Brumbaugh (Texas) and forwards Ismael Massoud (Kansas State) and Dontrez Styles (North Carolina).

McKenna is Cooley’s second high school commitment for the 2023 class. Four-star center Drew Fielder committed to Georgetown in March out of Southern California Academy.

McKenna touched on why he committed to Georgetown to Joe Tipton of On3.

“I chose Georgetown because Ed Cooley is a very relatable coach,” McKenna said. “He understands me and my family, and he matches how hungry I am… I am from PG County, Maryland which is in the DMV about 15 minutes away from DC. I like his vision about taking the talent from the area to make Georgetown great again. I think I’m the player to help him do that.”

Drew McKenna also described himself as a “Great all-around player” and believes he can play the two through four positions.

His versatility will bode well for the Hoyas. McKenna could spell minutes at either forward positions as well as shooting guard. Georgetown has Styles, Massoud, and last year’s transfer Wayne Bristol Jr. at the wing.

Georgetown lacks depth at off-ball guard after Jay Heath. That’s another spot McKenna can spell minutes. Jumping up a class makes sense playing under a new head coach looking to set a culture within the program for years beyond.

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Ed Cooley did not land Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, but he is making waves in the transfer portal in his first recruiting cycle as head coach of Georgetown. Friday, Kansas State transfer Ismael Massoud announced his commitment to the Hoyas.

Massoud, a Bronx, NY native, started his collegiate career at Wake Forest, playing two seasons in Winston-Salem before transferring to Kansas State in 2021. After starting 18 games in 2021-22, Massoud returned to the bench last season under first-year coach Jerome Tang.

Massoud averaged 15.3 minutes and 5.4 points in 32 games last season. However, his season highlight came in the Wildcats’ Sweet 16 win over Michigan State. Massoud scored a season-high 15 points, making 4 of 6 three-pointers in 28 minutes.

At 6-foot-9, Massoud has displayed his ability to shoot from range. Last season he shot 41.8% from three. He is a 36.8% career three-point shooter.

Massoud joins impressive list of Hoyas additions

Cooley has worked the portal in hopes of building a first-year roster. Former Illinois guard Jayden Epps highlights the group. Epps is a former four-star recruit out of Suffolk, Virginia. As a 6-foot-2 combo guard, Epps averaged 9.5 points on 41.4% shooting from the field.

He will slot at the off-ball guard that can attack the paint off the dribble. His efficiency shooting on two’s — he shot over 51% on two-pointers, will help open the floor for a sharpshooter such as Massoud.

Rowan Brumbaugh is another guard Cooley landed in the transfer portal. Brumbaugh didn’t play last year, redshirting at Texas as a freshman. Thus the observation of him is from high school. At a slender 6-foot-4 frame, Brumbaugh has the quickness, speed, and vision to be the Hoyas’ starting point guard.

Cooley also added 6-foot-7 small forward Dontrez Styles. Styles spent two seasons at North Carolina before entering the transfer portal and choosing the Hoyas. Stylez went from appearing in 30 games to 15 from his freshman to sophomore years.

Stylez is intriguing, considering he was a four-star recruit in 2021. He drew immediate interest from several teams, including NC State, East Carolina, and South Carolina. He told the Bryan Hanks Show he got used to not playing, sparking his call to leave.

Meanwhile, Georgetown also has a freshman commit from 6-foot-9 forward Drew Fielder. Fielder initially committed with Cooley at Providence. But Cooley was able to get Fielder to follow him to Georgetown.

Cooley inherits trio that will shape out Georgetown’s roster

Cooley inherits DC native Jay Heath, Akok Akok, and Wayne Bristol Jr. from the Patrick Ewing era. Heath is the most attractive of the trio. He is Georgetown’s leading returning scorer with 12.3 points per game, shooting 41.5% from the field and 37.8% from three.

Eligibility concerns and injuries limited Heath to 22 games. Still, his ability score was evident. Provided he is not a late transfer entry, Heath is sure to figure in an intriguing three-guard backcourt with Epps and Brumbaugh.

But outside of that, the door is open on who will start and be a huge part of the rotation. Bristol, a Howard transfer from last year, is looking to return to his 2019-20 form when he was the MEAC Rookie of the Year.

Meanwhile, Akok Akok is expected to return to Georgetown. The 6-foot-9 post player will look to improve on his career highs of 6.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

The roster is shaping up for Ed Cooley. Ismael Massoud gives Georgetown much needed shooting and length that could stretch the floor for Epps, Brumbaugh, and Heath. Add Fielde and Akok inside with Stylez and Bristol playing off the wing, and the Hoyas could be more enjoyable to watch than last season’s dreadful group.

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