For junior Kim Beck, the GW women’s basketball team’s 72-53 win over Richmond was more than just another victory. It was a 16-point, seven-assist performance that moved Beck to third on the Colonials’ all-time assists list.
It was also a statistically important game for junior Sarah-Jo Lawrence, as she registered her first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Sophomore Jessica Adair’s contribution to the game differed greatly from the first to the second half. After scoring 17 points in the first period, the Spiders held the forward scoreless in the second, but McKeown said that she was still a strong presence on defense.
“The first half (Jessica) was just awesome,” McKeown said in a phone interview after the game. “She just dominated the paint. The biggest problem was (her four fouls). Richmond double-teamed her a lot more, especially to start the second half, but she handled it well. She did what she had to do to win.”
Although the No. 11/12 (AP, ESPN/USA Today) Colonials (19-2, 8-0 Atlantic 10) jumped out to an early 11-0 lead and entered the half up 44-28, the Spiders (10-13, 4-4 A-10) were within three with seven minutes remaining in the period. An 8-0 run in the next three minutes gave the Colonials an 11-point lead, while senior Kenan Cole added two straight three-pointers late in the half.
This momentum would not last, as the Spiders came out in the second half with a 12-0 run while GW was held scoreless for over five minutes. Before the game, McKeown said that he was worried about Richmond’s ability to go on runs, and the Spiders confirmed McKeown’s fear.
“They made a couple threes, made some tough shots,” McKeown said. “They have good players, so they just made shots and caught us taking a nap there for a while.”
Unlike during the two teams’ last meeting a month ago, when Richmond kept the game close until the final buzzer, the Colonials took control of the game and never let go.
Richmond had one scorer in double-digits in sophomore Johanna McKnight, who tallied 10 points. The Colonials held senior Christina Campion, who had 22 points during the first match-up, to nine points.
GW returns home to play Duquesne Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.
