Despite almost succumbing to their “achilles heel” by amassing 19 turnovers, GW defeated UMass 69-54 Sunday with a resurgent presence at the perimeter.
The Colonials extend their winning streak to 14 and advance to 16-2, matching the best 18-game start in program history and achieving the six-longest active win streak in Division I.
Sophomore Hannah Schaible led the Colonials with 14 points and 10 rebounds, matching her highest scoring game of conference play and helping GW remain the only undefeated team in the conference.
“I was able to get midrange because they had been focusing so much on post players because they are such a key part of our offense,” Schaible said. “When there was so much focus on them, it really gives the guards space to get shots open.”
Despite attention to the paint, junior Jonquel Jones followed Schaible in scoring with 13 points and 10 rebounds, racking up yet another double-double. Jones is the only player in conference averaging a double-double.
The Colonials opened the game on an 18-2 run as the Minutewomen amassed six turnovers in just four minutes of play. With full court press establishing an upbeat tempo, GW succeeded in attacking the gaps against the zone and stopping UMass off the boards.
The game took on the aura of a track match, and the Minutemen weren’t able to compete with GW’s speed and post players that still got up and down the floor with ease.
GW stretched the lead to 18, but Jones and sophomore Caira Washington were sent to the bench with two fouls apiece and the Minutewomen capitalized on the holes left on the floor and suddenly slow transition play from GW.
“I think we tried to squeeze the ball in a couple of places that it didn’t fit or make the decision with the kind of pass we wanted to throw,” head coach Jonathan Tsipis said. “I think some of that part of things is us being able to make the same plays for forty minutes.”
Moving into the last seven minutes of the period, UMass continued to get more active on the offensive boards, and chipped away with a 6-0 mini-run to pull within ten at the half, 36-26.
GW came out the locker room ready to battle. With their firepower inside, the Colonials elevated to a strong 58-42 lead. Sophomore Shannon Cranshaw knocked down two three-pointers, after the Colonials went 0-7 from behind the arc in last week’s matchup against Rhode Island. Cranshaw notched her career-best six assists to give the Colonials a more more perimeter-oriented threat.
With under 8 minutes to go in regulation, UMass junior Amber Dillon cut to the hoop on a fast break, allowing UMass to cut the lead to 58-46. UMass again cut GW’s lead to ten, but guards got key shots and steals to keep the game in check.
After about a four minute drought, GW got the lead back to 12, 66-52, after a layup and two points from the charity stripe by Miller. Both teams got scrappy in the paint, trading fouls and driving up the score until the Colonials pulled out the 15 point win.
“We got a little bit jumper-happy and had some turnovers in transition that I think we capitalized on in the first half,” Tsipis said. “You have to give UMass credit because they kept fighting and fighting and fighting. I liked the way our team was able to get stops down the stretch, and be able to make free throws to be able to extend it out to a 15 point game.”
GW returns to the Smith Center on Wednesday to host Duquesne at 7 p.m.
