Dec. 30, 2011

Box Score

HANOVER, N.H. - Junior guard Sugar Rodgers (Suffolk, Va./King's Fork) made tournament history and the No. 15/16 Georgetown University women's basketball squad (12-2) cruised to a 77-38 victory Friday evening over the Dartmouth University Big Green (2-10) at Leede Arena in the final game of the Blue Sky Classic.

Rodgers was named the tournament's MVP breaking the records for points in a game (39), points in the tournament (73) and three's made in the tournament (11). Her 39 points also broke her personal best which she had tied the previous evening. Additionally, senior forward Tia Magee (Tulsa, Okla./Jenks) was named to the all-tournament squad after a pair of outstanding performances.

""I was mad that I missed a free throw to beat it (the record) yesterday, so I told my trainer (Melissa Robinson) that I was going to go out and break it tonight," said Rodgers. "I was just having fun, we just came back from a break and I was energetic and ready to play."

The 35th Annual Blue Sky Classic is the longest-running collegiate women's basketball tournament in the country. It is traditionally hosted by Dartmouth between Christmas and the New Year. It has featured some of the top teams in the nation in its 35-year run putting Rodgers and Magee in good company.

"We've seen Sugar do this before, we've seen her shoot the lights out," said Georgetown Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy. "But what people don't realize is that Sugar does so much more. She rebounds, she gets steals, she plays defense, she just played an all-around game."

The win marked Georgetown's 11th-consecutive victory as the Hoyas improved to 12-2 and shared the tournament championship with LaSalle University.

Dartmouth looked strong early taking a 10-8 lead six minutes into the game led by eight points from junior Faziah Steen. The Hoya defense soon attacked forcing six Big Green turnovers over a seven-minute scoring drought where GU managed a 13-0 run to take a 21-10 lead.

Rodgers caught fire late in the half hitting back-to-back three's and tallying two steals, one resulting in a layup and the other in an assist to senior forward Tommacina McBride (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame).

As a number of players saw action, the Hoyas kept it up tempo resulting in a 33-18 advantage at the break.

Once again Dartmouth came out fired up, but its momentum was soon stopped as the Big Green was held scoreless for seven minutes as Rodgers continued her scoring barrage. At the 5:27 mark, Rodgers broke the tournament record for points in a game as the bench went wild.

The coaching staff was able to bring in all 15 players as 11 scored for the total team effort. At the final buzzer, the Hoyas had the 77-38 win and were the tournament co-champs.

Rodgers led all scorers with 39 points as well as a game-high eight rebounds, while Magee added 10 points and five boards. Senior point guard Rubylee Wright (Latta, S.C./Latta) had five assists as well as five steals as the Blue & Gray tallied 25 steals in the contest.

Georgetown outrebounded Dartmouth, 44-32, and shot 37.5 percent for the game.

Steen led the Big Green with 15 points.

The tournament closed out nonconference play for the Blue & Gray going 11-2 against nonconference opponents this season and continuing a 34-game home nonconference win streak dating back to 2006.

Georgetown will be back in action on January 3 at McDonough Arena as the squad takes on the No. 21/19 DePaul University Blue Demons to begin 2012 BIG EAST play. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The game will be broadcast tape delayed on Verizon FiOS with Monika Moore on the call and Georgetown alum Monica McNutt doing color.

Fans can watch live on www.GUHoyas.com with Ryan Sakamoto and Ben Gordon Goldstein calling the action. Live stats will also be available.