All season long, women’s basketball had shown resilience in a number of comeback wins. But the Atlantic 10 season started with the Colonials on a roll, and GW blew out its first two opponents.
On Sunday afternoon in Dayton, however, the Colonials found a way to win from behind yet again, topping the Flyers 62-61 after a big comeback after halftime.
The Colonials shot just 29 percent from the field in the first half and trailed 38-26 at the break, but used a 16-1 run in the third quarter to get back in the game and ultimately move to 3-0 in the A-10, extending their win streak to eight consecutive games.
“Getting this win on the road is absolutely huge for us,” said head coach Jonathan Tsipis, who explained that in his tenure as head coach only two other teams have beaten Dayton on the road in conference play. “Even when we were down I thought we had great body language, and we got back to ourselves in the second half by getting out in transition an just playing our game.”
Once again, it was the frontcourt of Jonquel Jones and Caira Washington who bolstered the offensive game, with Jones scoring 23 points and Washington adding 17 points to combine for more than half of GW’s scores. Jones came through in the clutch, hitting a huge three pointer with the game deadlocked at 59-59 and just over a minute left to play in the game.
“I was just running the play through within our offense,” said Jones. “One of the perimeter players in their zone extended too far out, and I had the space to knock down the jumper.”
GW was struggling to get anything going as the game continued into the second half, as the Flyers extended their lead to 44-32 in the third quarter. However, the Colonials would make five of their next six field goals, including two bombs from beyond the arc from Jones and junior guard Shannon Cranshaw who started in the absence of sophomore guard Brianna Cummings, and shut the Flyers down on the other end as Dayton was 0-6 in that stretch.
From there, the game became a war of attrition, with both teams struggling to maintain control of the game. GW led by six with just under four minutes to play, but Dayton fought back to tie the game at 59-59, and Caira Washington fouled out of the game, leaving a big hole in the interior.
Despite being dealt the loss of Washington, Jones stepped up to the plate, knocking down the huge three and giving the Colonials the lead for good.
“It speaks of [Jonquel’s] game when she shoots 7-25 and still has no hesitation taking the shot late,” said Tsipis. “That’s exactly the kind of mindset you want from someone who is being considered for national player of the year.”
Dayton still had a chance to win the game, trailing 62-61 with the ball and 13 seconds left to play. However, their last hopes were swept away by sophomore forward Kelli Prange, who blocked Dayton guard Celeste Edwards. Jodie Cornelie-Sigmundova’s last-second attempt was no good, giving the Colonials a huge road win.
The Flyers had jumped out of the gate going 7-9 from the field to begin the game, but Tsipis’ tenacious group locked in, forcing Dayton into just 30 percent shooting from the field in the second half. The Colonials also held a 52-41 rebounding advantage, with 20 offensive rebounds leading to 17 second-chance points.
They also turned the ball over just 12 times, compared to 20 assists.
“Early on they had too many straight-line drives and we got a little too concerned about leaving their shooters even in basic rotation,” said Tsipis. “I think after the first media timeout we talked about giving earlier help, and we were able to stay on their ball screens a little longer.”
Tsipis added that rebounding was a particular point of emphasis before the game.
“The girls talked about how they really wanted to win the rebounding battle. Last year Dayton was one of only two teams to have a rebounding advantage over us, so I think that was a big motivator.”
The winning streak has certainly provided a motivator for Tsipis’ squad, but Jones said that the team is taking one game at a time. Still, she said, beating Dayton has a bit of extra significance.
“It’s a fun game,” she said. “These are the types of games you love to win as a team and take care of your business.”
The Colonials will look to win their ninth-straight and remain undefeated in conference play as they return to the Smith Center to face La Salle on Wednesday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.
