The GW women’s basketball team opened its season with two impressive victories this weekend, rallying from a 10-point second half deficit to beat Georgetown Friday night before stomping East Carolina University 67-34 Sunday. The Colonials have not opened the season 2-0 since 1998.
In Sunday’s home opener, the Colonials were dominant, as they tallied the team’s highest margin of victory since the 2002-03 season when they defeated Dayton by 37. ECU shot just 17 percent from the field, made just eight field goals for the game and turned the ball over 32 times.
“I think today was a confidence builder for us and I got to see a lot of different combinations, which is something we are going to need later in the season,” GW head coach Joe McKeown said. “I think it was just a good confidence game and it was a good way to open up the season (at home).”
The Colonials have had only one other game under McKeown in which they allowed less than 34 points. That happened in 1992, when the Colonials allowed just 32 points to Howard.
“We kind of knew what (ECU) was going to come out and try to beat us with,” freshman Sarah-Jo Lawrence said. “We knew where to be and who to stop at different points in the game.”
Lawrence led the charge on offense, scoring a game-high 13 points. Freshman Kimberly Beck also had a strong game offensively, scoring 10 points.
Sophomores Kenan Cole and Amanda LoCascio both set new career highs with 11 points each off the bench.
Friday night, the Colonials traveled across the city to McDonough Arena to square off against rival Georgetown in both teams’ season openers. The Hoyas had beaten GW in their last three meetings, including last season’s opener at the Smith Center.
The Colonials trailed by eight at halftime after a sloppy defensive first half in which senior Hoya guard Mary Lisicky scored 11 points.
The second half belonged to senior Jessica Simmonds, who had an impressive regular season debut for the Colonials. Simmonds scored 15 second-half points (17 total), including seven consecutive points as GW fought to overcome a 10-point deficit. With 7:16 remaining, sophomore Corrine Tuner went hard to the basket and made a lay-up to give GW a 55-54 lead.
Georgetown regained the lead 57-56 with just under four minutes remaining, but the Colonials’ offense was too much for the Hoyas, as the Colonials built a 65-57 advantage. Georgetown put together a late run but GW held on for a 67-62 victory.
The Colonials have just one day off before they will face No. 1 (Associated Press) University of Tennessee on the road. GW has never beaten the Lady Volunteers in four attempts, losing by 14 in the last year’s meeting.
“I am excited,” LoCascio said. “I think we have a totally new team this year and even though we lost Cathy Joens and Ugo Oha I think we are now nine deep. We have a lot of speed, so we are going to be able to keep up with them and basically if we stay together I think we can win this game.”
McKeown added, “I think it has been a real good series between us. It would be even better if we could win one. I think we had a real good shot to beat them last season but we just couldn’t last season’s opener at the Smith Center.
The Colonials trailed by eight at halftime after a sloppy defensive first half in which senior Hoya guard Mary Lisicky scored 11 points.
The second half belonged to senior Jessica Simmonds, who hadan impressive regular season debut for the Colonials. Simmonds scored 15 second-half points (17 total), including seven consecutive points as GW fought to overcome a 10-point deficit. With 7:16 remaining, sophomore Corrine Tuner went hard to the basket and made a lay-up to give GW a 55-54 lead.
Georgetown regained the lead 57-56 with just under four minutes remaining, but the Colonials’ offense was too much for the Hoyas, as the Colonials built a 65-57 advantage. Georgetown put together a late run but GW held on for a 67-62 victory.
