ROSEMONT, Ill. (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of fortune, the DePaul women’s basketball team authored a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Georgetown 80-77 in a Big East Conference game Saturday at Allstate Arena.

The Blue Demons, who entered the game with a 3-14 record, trailed by as many as eight points in the second half and were down 61-53 entering the final period. They proceeded to outscore the Hoyas 27-16 in the fourth quarter, seizing their first lead of the game with just over two minutes remaining and holding on through a frantic final sequence.

The most critical juncture of the game came in the final minute. With DePaul clinging to a 76-74 lead, Georgetown’s Destiny Agubata drove for a layup to tie the game with 38 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, DePaul’s Alayna West answered with a layup of her own, assisted by Kate Novik, to put the Blue Demons back ahead 78-76 with 33 seconds on the clock.

Georgetown called a timeout and set up a play, but Brianna Byars missed a floating jumper with 15 seconds left. DePaul’s Meg Newman secured the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled. After a series of timeouts and substitutions, the Hoyas were forced to foul Aizhanique Mayo with 4.4 seconds remaining. Mayo, a freshman from Bridgeport, Connecticut, calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to 80-76.

Georgetown’s Laila Jewett was fouled on a desperate 3-point attempt with 0.3 seconds left. She made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second, but the Hoyas could not secure the offensive rebound as time expired.

The victory was fueled by a dominant final period where DePaul shot 10 of 16 from the floor and capitalized on Georgetown mistakes, scoring 11 points off turnovers in the quarter alone. For the game, DePaul scored 29 points off 15 Georgetown turnovers, a decisive margin in a three-point contest.

Georgetown’s Agubata, a junior from Moreno Valley, California, was spectacular in defeat, scoring a game-high 24 points and dishing out five assists. Her backcourt mate, Laila Jewett of Woodbridge, Virginia, added 17 points and five assists. The Hoyas were efficient offensively, shooting 58.3% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range, but were undone by their ball security and DePaul’s 11-5 advantage in offensive rebounds.

DePaul was led by Novik, a junior from Grodno, Belarus, who recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists, directing the offense throughout the comeback. Natiah Nelson of Perrysburg, Ohio, provided a crucial interior presence with 14 points, while Mayo’s 11 points off the bench, including the game-sealing free throws and three 3-pointers, proved invaluable.

The game was a tale of two halves for Georgetown. The Hoyas led 22-18 after one quarter and 39-36 at halftime, maintaining their efficiency into the third quarter to take an eight-point lead. But the offensive rhythm vanished in the fourth, as they managed only five field goals and committed five turnovers against a reinvigorated DePaul defense.

DePaul improved its season record to 4-14 overall and secured its first Big East win. Georgetown fell to 9-7. The Blue Demons will look to build on the momentum when they travel to face Xavier on Tuesday. Georgetown, which had its two-game winning streak snapped, will host Saint John’s on Tuesday.