Women’s basketball downed Quinnipiac Saturday to capture its fourth straight win and tie its longest winning streak since 2017.
The Colonials (6–3) defeated the Bobcats (1–5) 78–67 and handed Quinnipiac its third consecutive loss. GW bounced back from a seven-point deficit in the first quarter to outscore Quinnipiac in the remaining three frames and secure its sixth win of the season.
“I feel pretty good about our progress over the last few weeks since Lehigh,” head coach Jennifer Rizzotti said, referencing the team’s early season loss against the Mountain Hawks. “I feel like the kids are pretty locked in about staying the course and continuing to get better.”
The Colonials dictated the field of play on both ends of the court. GW shot 52.9 percent from the field while the Bobcats netted 36.8 percent from the field. Despite turning over the ball 15 times, the defense pounded the boards, seizing 30 defensive rebounds.
Redshirt freshman guard Tori Hyduke led all scorers with 22 points and shot at a 60 percent clip from the field and a 66.7 percent clip from deep. Graduate student forward Alexandra Maund netted 14 points and held a .750 field goal percentage. Redshirt freshman forward Mayowa Taiwo notched her first career double-double with 11 rebounds and 12 points.
“Tori and Mayowa have both settled in really nicely and played better and better every game,” Rizzotti said. “And having Alex Maund come back was a big boost for us in these last two games because it added that depth at the post and some senior leadership and maturity.”
Rizzotti said the young core will grow their confidence levels as they continue to gain game experience.
“Starting three freshmen, sometimes it just takes some time to get a feel for our opponents,” Rizzotti said. “These are three guys that haven’t played in a college season yet. And so we might be able to show them a bunch of film, but until they’re out there physically, they’re not always comfortable.”
The Bobcats capitalized off a jumper and an early turnover to put them four points ahead. A triple from Hyduke momentarily gave GW the 9–8 lead, but the Bobcats came roaring back. The Bobcats shot 9-of-18 from the field while the Colonials sunk just 5-of-15. At the end of the quarter, GW trailed 22–15.
The Colonials came out stronger in the second quarter, managing to cut the Bobcat lead down by a sizable margin, pulling within three points early on. The Bobcats took a timeout to stymie the Colonial rally and captured a 10-point lead with about five minutes to play.
“I think we just settled into the game a little bit in the second quarter,” Rizzotti said. “And then I think the fact that we were down 10 points against Delaware and came back and won allowed us to not panic.”
Despite the gap, the Colonials outscored the Bobcats 23–17 and outshot them nearly 63.6 percent to 43.8 percent. The Bobcats struggled from outside the arc, shooting only 1-of-6 compared to the Colonials’ 2-of-3. At the end of the half, GW headed into the locker room trailing by one after a layup from Maund.
The Colonials started the second half rejuvenated by their second quarter comeback. GW sunk 7-of-14 from the field while Quinnipiac made just 1-of-18. GW dominated in the paint, scoring 10 points in total and shutting out Quinnipiac completely.
“All of a sudden, the other team is exhausted trying to guard not just our starting five, but our second five as well,” Rizzotti said. “So our depth has definitely played a factor and being able to pull away in the last two games in the third quarter.”
Both teams suffered from outside the arc. The Colonials only hit 1-of-5 while the Bobcats hit 1-of-6 in the third frame. But GW defense held strong to give the Colonials their lead, and the squad led 55–47 by the end of the third quarter.
“We were switching back between man and zone,” Rizzotti said. “I think that Quinnipiac does a great job with their motion offense, so we were trying to not let them be comfortable. And I think that helps that they weren’t really sure all the time what we are in.”
In the fourth quarter, the Colonials netted all three of their attempted triples while the Bobcats continued their struggles, only netting 3-of-8. Quinnipiac ended the game shooting at a .280 clip from deep, and GW finished slightly above its average, firing at a .389 clip from beyond the arc.
The Colonials held onto their lead for the entire quarter, closing out the game with stout defense and quick ball movement to earn a final score of 78–67.
The Colonials hit the home court again Tuesday to take on Minnesota. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.