This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Alex Kist.
After a tough loss to No. 15 Stanford, the Colonials concluded their two-game road stint in the Golden State with a win over Fresno State on Monday in a low-scoring battle, 61-53.
Senior forward Jonquel Jones posted a double-double, pacing the Colonials with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while senior guard Lauren Chase followed suit with 12 points and eight rebounds in the eight-point victory.
No. 24 GW struggled to bring offensive drives to fruition in the first half, but switched to zone coverage to keep defenders at bay, which allowed Jones to get in on the action.
“We settled in the first half for a lot of jumpers, and then when we got out in transition, attacked the rim, we got a few easy shots from offensive rebounds or deep post touches,” head coach Jonathan Tsipis said. “I think we gained some confidence and executed better against the man.”
Utilizing a side-to-side lateral defense to open play, the Colonials (3-1) limited the Bulldogs (1-3) to a low-scoring first half, where they also racked up nine fouls in the opening quarter.
GW took advantage of getting to the bonus early, but Fresno State got a few more boards and took an early 17-11 lead in the first quarter.
In the second frame, senior guard Aaliyah Brown gave GW a spark off the bench and knocked down a shot from the top of key to put the game within four, 18-22. More Fresno State fouls allowed GW to knot the game at 22 after a three-pointer from freshman guard Mei-Lyn Bautista.
Whistle contact was prominent in the final few minutes of the half, as both teams were trying to minimize offensive efforts. The Bulldogs didn’t want to wake up Jones, but she came alive with a jumper to boost the score to 27-22 heading into the locker room. Fresno State led by as much as eight points with 16 seconds left in the first quarter, but GW countered and surged to a five-point lead with all the momentum at the break.
Falling behind in the rebounding margin, GW made some changes on the defensive end. Tsipis said Chase and senior guard Alexis Chandler did a good job of minimizing the Bulldogs’ point guard Shauqunna Collins when they moved to the zone.
“We changed defenses in the second half, and I think they [Fresno State] struggled to adjust to it,” Tsipis said. “We were able to get out in transition because I think the activity level we had in zone was just as good as in the man-to-man.”
In the second half, GW was able to feed the ball in the paint, helping extended its lead to nine in the third quarter. After some push back from the Bulldogs, Bautista knocked down another deep three to push the margin to 10.
Tsipis said that advantage breaks and accuracy from behind the arc was, “contagious.”
“We had to make those second efforts on the defensive end to make sure we were securing the ball, being strong with the ball,” Chase said. “I wanted to set the example by having that attacking mentality.”
GW continued to soar in fourth quarter, opening with a 9-0 run fueled by fast footwork and easy releases off the backboards. A high arching three fell through for the Bulldogs to close the gap to nine after the Colonials led by as much as 16.
But even getting some shots to fall, the Bulldogs didn’t have enough time on the shot clock to get combat the Colonials’ paint pressure, as the final whistle marked GW’s third win on the young season.
GW returns to action on Thursday to participate in the three-game Lone Star Showcase in Cedar Park, Texas. The Colonials will face Houston in game one at 2:30 p.m.
