The 37th annual Home Court charity basketball game, held March 28 at the Gonzaga College High School gym, was a fast-paced match between students, faculty and staff from Georgetown Law (the Hoya Lawyas) and from the George Washington University Law School (the Rowdy Revs). The Lawyas emerged victorious, with a resounding 73-54 win over the Revs – but the real winner was the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, which took home a check for $788,982.50.

The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless provides accessible legal services to, and engages in advocacy on behalf of, unhoused people in the D.C. area. It has a close relationship with Georgetown Law, having been co-founded in 1986 by alumna Patricia Mullahy Fugere, C’81, L’84, who went on to serve as executive director from 1991 to 2022, then turned the reins over to Amber Harding, L’03, who first began working there as a student. Over the years, Home Court has raised more than $12 million for the Clinic, through ticket sales, concessions, a silent auction and sponsorships from individuals and law firms. Both the Hoya Lawyas and Rowdy Revs also formed online teams for another basketball-themed annual fundraiser for the Clinic, March Mania for Housing Justice. Every year, current law students not only play in the game but also help organize the event – and some have gone on to serve on the Clinic’s board or to return to volunteer at and contribute to the Home Court fundraiser.

Both law schools’ deans – Georgetown’s William M. Treanor and GW’s Dayna Bowen Matthew – were there to rally the crowd before the game. Georgetown won the tip-off and play started with a lot of energy, with both teams running the floor looking for open players and easy layups.The Lawyas scored a bunch of quick early baskets, but the Revs started to come back after the first group of substitutions.

Event co-director Reilly Wright, L’24, distinguished herself on the court as well as as an organizer. This correspondent wondered whether the refs had swallowed their whistles after seeing Wright get flattened by a Rowdy Rev as the two players scrambled after a loose ball. (“Did that look as crazy as it felt? I’m definitely going to have some bumps and bruises tomorrow,” said Wright to her teammates at half-time – and she knows basketball, as a college club player at the University of Pennsylvania and the daughter of Jay Wright, former national championship-winning head men’s basketball coach at Villanova.)  Wright finished the game with 3 points, going 1 for 4 from behind the arc.

The Lawyas jumped out to a big lead in the second quarter, due almost entirely to the play of Ronnie Rease, customer services supervisor for the Law Center’s mail and copy services and a longtime mainstay for the team. Rease went 8 for 9 from the floor for the game, including an astounding 5 for 6 from behind the arc. He also played excellent defense, with 4 steals and 5 rebounds. He finished with a game-high 21 points and faculty/staff player of the game honors.

In the third quarter, the Revs made a run and closed the gap to 4 points, but were unable to gain the lead. Associate Professor Nakita Cuttino and Visiting Professor and Juvenile Justice Initiative Policy Director Eduardo Ferrer, B’02, L’05, credibly represented the Law Center faculty on the court. Other outstanding student players included Pete Baron, L’26, who aggressively matched up all game with the best player for the Revs, and Pat Murray, L’26, who brought the ball up the court many times for the Lawyas, finishing with 9 points and taking the student MVP honor.

As ever, Home Court was a great night out for players and spectators alike. At a time-out break in the fourth quarter, Meera Shaw, L’26, who chipped in with an assist during her minutes on the court, called out to her friends in the stands: “This is so much fun! I feel like I’m in high school!”

After the game, veteran player Matt Calise, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement, said he has seen much closer games in the scoreline, but not one more intense and competitive. Most past Home Court games saw Georgetown take on a “Hill’s Angels” team of Capitol Hill staffers and sometimes Members of Congress, but with the quality of play this year, perhaps there is a new tradition in the making. What better way to earn bragging rights as the finest law school in the nation’s capital?