On an afternoon when the GW coaching staff donned their ugly Christmas sweaters, the Colonials won in the same kind of fashion, overcoming 26 turnovers and 37.3 percent shooting (22-of-59) to defeat Iona 70-65 in the team’s third straight win.
Senior standout Jonquel Jones continued her superlative season, pouring in 21 points, including 7-of-10 shooting from the free throw line, and adding 14 rebounds. Junior guard Hannah Schaible chipped in 16 points of her own, to go along with nine rebounds.
Jones managed just a single field goal attempt in the first period, but exploded over the course of the next three, connecting on an array of step-back jumpers and getting to the line at will against the Iona defense.
“It was hard to get open at first, they were doing a lot of face-guarding, and early in the game I was letting a lot of the other players do the on-ball screening,” Jones said. “It helped a lot more when I started screening, it freed me up.”
Without her production, the Colonials struggled to get the ball rolling in the first quarter, trailing by two at 17-15 after the first period and showing a lack of discipline on the defensive end at times, including at the end of the quarter when senior guard Aaliyah Brown fouled Gaels guard Philecia Gilmore on a shot from near half court, leading to an unlikely four-point play.
GW got the ball rolling in the second quarter, using its frontcourt size and attacking mentality to draw fouls and get to the charity stripe. The Colonials got to the line all game, amassing 37 attempts and converting 25 of them.
“We knew that [Iona’s] opponents had had success getting to the line against them, and it was an adjustment we made in the change of quarters,” head coach Jonathan Tsipis said. “It was a goal of ours, and getting post touches and offensive rebounds put us in a better position to draw more fouls.”
The Colonials dominated the rebounding battle yet again, outmatching the Gaels 51-32 on the glass, and stifling their inside attack after being outscored in the paint 16-12 at one point early in the game. The Gaels were relegated to the perimeter for much of the second half, shooting just 7-28 from the three-point line.
“We thought that if we extended our zone and force them to shoot guarded threes, they would lose some of their punch by getting post touches,” said Tsipis. “I think there were even times when we overextended defensively, but those are easy things to look at and make adjustments.”
The Colonials were particularly effective in halting Iona’s pick and roll game from the perimeter, using the length and size of their bigs to switch out onto the Gaels’ nifty point guard (and leading scorer) Marina Lizarazu.
“We used a lot of hedges defensively and trapping,” Jones said. “We did a really good job today of keeping them out of the paint and stopping them from turning the corner.”
The Colonials led by as much as 15 in the third quarter before the Gaels mounted their comeback, even retaking the lead 56-55 early in the final period. The Colonials maintained their composure, however, and calmly put Iona away for their third consecutive win.
“We know we have a lot of adjustments to make going forward,” said Tsipis. “You’re fooling yourself if you think you’re playing your best basketball in December, so we understand we have a long way to go.”
The Colonials have a week to enjoy the holiday season before they travel to the Midwest to take on Illinois in Champaign on Dec. 28. Tip-off is slated for 3:00 p.m. EST.
