This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Alex Kist.
There was a dogfight in the Smith Center on Saturday, but the Colonials pulled away victorious, hanging on for their third straight win over a 2014 NCAA tournament team.
GW defeated Fresno State 73-64, led by senior guard Lauren Chase’s 22 points, which matches her career-high. Chase finished the game shooting 8-15 from the field with a 4-7 night at the charity stripe.
Chase got the ball rolling for the Colonials with a jumper and three pointer within the first five minutes of the contest. GW would take the first half by a slim 30-26 margin, after forcing 18 turnovers in the first half. Fresno State was able to keep it close by capitalizing on moments when the Colonials were out of sync with eight steals in the first half, GW head coach Jonathan Tsipis said. GW finished the game with 19 turnovers.
Fresh out of the locker room, Chase also notched the first of GW’s points in the second, with another shot beyond the arc. GW brought offensive intensity to extend to a 36-28 lead, as a quick layup by sophomore forward Caira Washington propelled the Colonials to an early eight-point advantage.
“The main thing was that we wanted to be aggressive, whether they were playing man or zone,” Chase said. “We needed to get the ball into the open spots, whether it’s getting it to our post players down low to get easy shots or just kicking it out, just making sure we’re moving the ball.”
The Colonials were perhaps most aggressive off the boards, out-rebounding their opponents for the eighth straight match. GW controlled the glass with a 47-32 margin, including a 24-8 mark off the offensive boards.
Washington paced the Colonials in rebounding, ending the game one point shy of a double-double with 14 rebounds and nine points.
“I think it makes you a harder team to guard when you know you are going to spend more time preparing to keep people off the glass,” Tsipis said. “It allows us on the defensive end to get out and transition more, which is how we want to play.”
Sophomore guard Hannah Schaible was active around the basket, getting seven rebounds despite just four points and elevating to retrieve her own offensive rebounds on a couple occasions. Freshman forward Kelli Prange was a deep threat in the second and shot an effortless three pointer to push the score to 50-39.
Still, the Bulldogs started to move in on the Colonials after Prange’s shot and brought the game to a 54-54 draw, forcing Tsipis to call a timeout to refocus his players.
After the timeout, GW retaliated and took a 58-57 lead with Jones dumping the ball in the basket through outstretched Bulldog arms and pulling away at the tail end of the game.
Senior guard Chakecia Miller knocked down four free throws within the last 17 seconds of the game to put the Colonials’ victory on ice.
Tsipis said the tough competition and versatility of opposition on a team like Fresno State should help the Colonials prepare for the conference season.
“We need to continue to understand that every one of these games, with the different styles that we are playing, is going to get us ready so that when we play teams in the [Atlantic] 10, we’re not caught off guard,” Tsipis said.
GW returns to action Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a match against crosstown rival Georgetown in the Smith Center.
