Team Spirit Leads GUQ Women’s Basketball Team on Winning Streak at HBKU

The Georgetown in Qatar (GU-Q) Hoyas women’s basketball team won the women’s championship in the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Basketball Tournament for this academic year.

Playing in the HBKU Student Center, the Hoyas emerged victorious over Weill Cornell in Qatar Big Red Bears women’s team with a final score of 35-20. Throughout the game Georgetown kept a significant point lead with Weill Cornell until the end of the first half with just a 3-point spread.

The first game of the tournament was won by Hoyas women’s against VCU Qatar in the semifinals, ending with 39-13.

Hoyas women’s basketball coach Jacqui Snell is a Georgetown student development officer who devotes her free hours to the women’s basketball team in Qatar. She said, “Last year the team had a 3-4 record and struggled with team cohesion. After half of the team either graduated or did not return, this year’s team was almost completely different. Everyone came dedicated to the team, ready to work hard, and from the first practice really connected as a cohesive group.”

“Many of our new recruits had basketball experience, which laid a strong foundation for us this year,” Snell explained. “This gave us an edge. Plus, we had one of the toughest defenses. I think that helped us win.”

After the HBKU tournament, the women’s team was able to meet Georgetown alumnus, board member, and NBA executive Alonzo Mourning, who said how proud and impressed he was with the women’s play and for representing Georgetown well.

Hard work and patience pays off. Snell said, “We not only won the tournament but we won the first place trophy for the regular season…We entered the tournament with a record of being undefeated in the league this year. Another big game we played this year was against our rivals, Northwestern Qatar (last year’s champion), whom we beat in an overtime win in the regular season 33-28.”

Coach Snell is extremely proud of how hard each of her players has worked this year. She points out that Dima Wahbeh (Class of 2015) and co-captain was named MVP of the women’s league, Tala Hammash (Class of 2014) and co-captain was named all-tournament player, and Aletha Smith (Class of 2015 and study abroad student from Main Campus) was named all tournament player.

With hard work, a will to win, and an enthusiastic fan base, the Georgetown team was particularly inspired to be winners this year and destined to be named the HBKU women’s basketball champions.

Hoyas Women’s Basketball Team Roster 2013-14

Tala Hammash (co-captain), senior, postDima Wahbeh (co-captain), junior, point guardSarah Elzeini, senior, guardKhadija Mahsud, senior, postJehan Saleh, sophomore, postAletha Smith (study abroad student from Main Campus), junior, postNicole Suarez, freshman, guardAya Sharkas, freshman, guardLaila Telawi, freshman, guardKristyna Storkova (UCL student), graduate student, post