This post was written by Hatchet reporter Agam Mittal.
Playing in its third game in three days, women’s basketball (5-2) received a huge lift from its bench to defeat Western Kentucky (3-3), 68–49, in the fifth-place game of the Gulf Coast Showcase Sunday.
“I feel good about our performance this weekend. Obviously there’s always going to be that thought in the back of our minds that we’d rather be playing for a championship or third place,” head coach Jennifer Rizzotti said. “But at least in the aftermath of losing a tough game, our mindset was right about coming back and finishing the best that we can.”
After handling Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday, the Colonials faced a tougher test in a Western Kentucky team that earned three votes in the AP Top 25 Poll and defeated then-No. 23 Indiana earlier this season.
However, behind 29 bench points and scoring from 10 different Colonials, GW led wire-to-wire against the Lady Toppers – whose starters played heavy minutes in overtime in their previous game.
“Being deep is always helpful – whether it’s guys being tired or not playing well, you always want to have confident players coming into the game off the bench,” Rizzotti said. “The bench’s performance is going to be really important for the success of GW women’s basketball. Some of these young guys are our future – so it’s nice to see them hit their stride.”
Like they did on Saturday, the Colonials got off to a fast start. Their defense limited the Lady Toppers to 23 percent shooting from the field in the first quarter, while forcing three turnovers. GW led by as many as 12 in the period and held a 16–10 advantage heading into the second quarter.
Sophomore guard Mei-Lyn Bautista, who started for the second consecutive game, ran the offense smoothly and effectively, playing with pace and finding open looks for her teammates. After dishing out four assists on Saturday, Bautista, a 2015-2016 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie selection, had five dimes on Sunday afternoon.
“Starting or not, my role when I come in is to bring some energy, be a leader, make sure all my guys are in the right spot, and make my teammates better by feeding them the ball,” Bautista said. “The last two games, I stepped up when Coach Rizzotti told me I’d be in the lineup, and I did the exact same that I’d do if I wasn’t starting.”
Junior guard Camila Tapias hit two threes in the second quarter to spur GW to an early 12–0 run before the media timeout. The Colonials held WKU scoreless through the first 3:34 of the second quarter to extend the lead to 28–10, and did not allow a field goal until the final three minutes of the half.
GW held a 32–18 lead at halftime behind a balanced offense led by eight points and four rebounds from senior center Caira Washington. Junior guard Brianna Cummings, coming off of a 16-point performance against FGCU, continued her aggressive play, grabbing four offensive rebounds in the first half and reaching the line twice.
The Colonials bench was key in extending the lead in a back-and-forth third quarter, during which GW shot 52.9 percent. Junior guard Mia Farmer, who had not scored yet this season, provided a spark off the bench, collecting seven points in only six minutes, including a pretty reverse layup and a three-pointer to beat the third quarter buzzer to give the Colonials a 20-point lead.
“Mia always comes in and plays her hardest – she always brings energy and toughness, she’s very strong, and she plays great defense,” Bautista said. “She knocked down big shots, and had a nice reverse layup. A lot of guys on our team know that no matter how many minutes they get, it’s always a good opportunity to just play their game and not think about it.”
GW kept their foot on the pedal entering the final period. After extending the lead to 25 with 5:28 to go, Rizzotti emptied her bench to give her starters a much-needed breather.
Washington, who had a near double-double with 13 points and 9 rebounds, said she was pleased with her team’s performance after two consecutive wins.
“Overall we’ve performed very well for a three game stretch, we did well and we fought hard, and we played high-intensity basketball, so I’m proud of us,” Washington said. “We are really looking to get better, and being a better team than we are now at the end of the season.”
Up next, the Colonials will face A-10 rival VCU on Friday at the Smith Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
