This post was written by Hatchet reporter Marty Fenn.
What: Women’s Basketball (11-3, 1-0 A-10) vs. Rhode Island (6-7, 0-1 A-10)
Where: The Smith Center, Washington, D.C., NBCSN (TV)
When: Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 12 p.m. EST
The Colonials are looking to notch their second straight conference win and continue a six-game winning streak against Rhode Island Wednesday afternoon following consecutive blowouts of Hartford (82-51) and Saint Joseph’s (70-45).
The Case for the Colonials: In what had been looking like a season of inconsistencies, the Colonials seem to have turned the corner. Demolitions of Hartford and Saint Joseph’s emphatically reiterated the tenacious defense as the squad’s calling card, while junior preseason All-American Caira Washington and graduate guard Lauren Chase seem to have found the efficiency that made them so potent last year.
The Colonials are also continuing to be bolstered by the strong play of junior guard Hannah Schaible, who has averaged 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds since her return to the lineup.
The two biggest and most persistent problems for the Colonials this year are their offensive inefficiency, and their turnover rate. Though they possess a respectable 40.6 percent mark from the field, the Colonials’ shooting woes have made the difference in tough losses to Stanford and Wright State, and have made it tougher for them to finish off lesser opponents such as Iona.
Additionally, the team’s 19.0 turnovers per game and -3.4 turnover margin have allowed opponents like Illinois to stay in games.
That being said, the Colonials shot 41 percent from the field with just 13 turnovers against Hartford, while posting a 45 percent mark against Saint Joseph’s. The biggest key to the Colonials’ transition game is Lauren Chase, and when she makes the smart plays, the Colonials go, as they did in a 30-point triumph over Hartford in which Chase posted a 12-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
If Chase can manage the game and the Colonials continue to find Washington, Jonquel Jones, and sophomore Kelli Prange inside for good looks, it opens so many opportunities for the Colonials offensively.
The Case for Rhode Island: The Rams (6-7) do not score the ball particularly well (59.2 points per game) and hit just 29.7 percent of their shots from beyond the three-point line. Against the staunch GW defense, this looks like a difficult game for Rhode Island.
The Rams struggle to rebound and were sloppy in a 69-56 loss to their first A-10 opponent, St. Bonaventure. If they do get an edge, it could come by way of forcing a large number of turnovers (think 20 or more), and somehow stretching the Colonial defense to the perimeter. Their perimeter game could be given a continued boost by the return of Symone Bullard, who is 7-13 from beyond the arc since returning to the lineup.
The Bottom Line: With the Colonials surging and clamping down on defense, things could get ugly for the Rams. Look for GW to continue its strong play at home.
