Women’s basketball (13-11, 5-6 Atlantic 10) earned a 66-54 road win over Dayton (11-11, 4-7 A-10) on Sunday, using a strong fourth quarter to secure the Revolutionaries’ third-straight conference victory.
The Revolutionaries trailed by four entering the fourth quarter but outscored the Flyers 27-11 over the final 10 minutes to secure the win. The victory improved GW to 13-11 overall and 5-6 in A-10 play, marking its longest winning streak since a seven-game run earlier this season, with sophomore guard Gabby Reynolds leading all scorers with 17 points.
Junior forward Sara Lewis added 8 points and five rebounds, providing production in the frontcourt, while other starters and reserves combined to fill the scoring column and maintain pressure on the Flyers at both ends of the floor.
Dayton grad student Nicole Stephens paced the Flyers, finishing with 15 points and 4 assists, while forward Molly O’Riordan pulled down nine rebounds to anchor Dayton on the glass. Despite those efforts, the Flyers were unable to keep pace as GW mounted their late surge.
Ball movement and shot selection were steady for the Revs, who finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field and 31 percent from 3-point range. At the free-throw line, GW converted 7 of 10 attempts.
Rebounding was an area of strength for GW, as the Revs out-rebounded Dayton 39-31, limiting second-chance opportunities and securing possessions on both ends of the court. Senior guard and forward Emma Theodorsson and freshman guard Mia James shared the team lead with six boards apiece, with five of James’ coming on the defensive end.
The Revs offense started out very quietly, as a Dayton 3-pointer nearly five minutes into the game brought the Flyers’ early lead to 9-3. A quick 6-0 GW run evened the score, however, before the quarter ended with the Revs trailing 13-11.
A 3-pointer from freshman guard Mia James handed GW a 17-14 lead nearly three minutes into the quarter, but the Flyers kept answering back, with a 3-pointer and two free throws helping to give them a 23-21 lead. A pair of layups and a jumper brought GW back into a narrow lead to enter the break, at 27-26.
In the third, the Revs found themselves in another back-and-forth quarter, trading baskets with the Flyers. Theodorsson gave the Revs a 31-30 lead at the 6:05 mark, but Dayton responded to take their biggest lead of the quarter at the 4:23 mark at 38-33. The final four minutes of the quarter saw the Revs continue to fight tooth and nail to find baskets bringing the score to 43-39 with one quarter to go.
Early in the fourth, Dayton continued to try to separate itself from the Revs, holding a 5-point lead just two minutes in. But the Revs responded with force, tying the game up on a layup from Lewis.
Down by one point, Reynolds’ layup found nylon at the 5:19 mark, giving the Revs a lead they would not relinquish. Lewis followed it up with a jumper to increase the lead to three, while sophomore guard Jaeda Wilson buried a three to make it a 6-point game.
Reynolds continued to build on her high-scoring day, adding a layup with 1:08 to play, giving the Revs a 60-54 lead. She would put the game on ice with a pair of free throws with 31 seconds left to secure a fifth A-10 victory.
GW’s ability to control possessions also played a role down the stretch as the Revs committed nine turnovers compared to Dayton’s 13, allowing GW to dictate pace during the closing minutes.
The win marks the Revs’ third-straight victory as they continue to climb up the conference standings, up to No. 8 as of Sunday night. In the first year under Head Coach Ganiyat Adeduntan, the team has already matched the team’s A-10 win total as last year’s squad.
With the win, the Revs add a road victory in A-10 play as they look forward to playing Davidson on Saturday, Feb. 7, in North Carolina.
