Web Update
Saturday, Jan. 26, 5:07 p.m.

Last Wednesday after the GW women’s basketball team’s 50-32 victory over La Salle, coach Joe McKeown said he needed more offense out of his team in GW’s upcoming games. Looks like it’s safe to say the his team was listening.

GW (16-4, 4-1 Atlantic 10) ran Charlotte out of Smith Center by a score of 76-54 Saturday, outplaying the 49ers in nearly every facet of the game. The win is GW’s second in a row and the Colonials’ biggest offensive statement since their lopsided victory over Brown Jan. 6.

“It was definitely a statement to the A-10 and to ourselves,” senior Kim Beck said of GW’s victory. “We have to pick up play of different levels. I still think we have to show some consistency, (but) it was a great game.”

Beck led No. 20/17 (AP, ESPN/USA Today) GW on the floor, tallying 19 points and dishing 11 assists. Classmate Sarah-Jo Lawrence also had a double-double, scoring 13 points and hustling on both ends of the floor for 10 rebounds.

GW nearly outscored its total against La Salle in only the first half of the Charlotte match-up, tallying 49 points at the break. The Colonials shot almost 59 percent from the floor in the opening period, and held the 49ers -who had been undefeated in conference play – to just 25 points.

“We knew we had to come send a message early. We didn’t play so well in the first half against La Salle and we wanted to clean that up this time, so we made it a point to come out hard on defense and really work hard and that’s what we did,” Lawrence said, and added that GW’s patience on offense helped the team choose good spots to take shots.

GW’s frontcourt starters combined for 35 points and 16 rebounds against the 49ers, and Charlotte coach Karen Aston said the Colonials’ post players were the difference in the game. GW’s McKeown said he was pleased specifically with the way junior Jessica Adair was able to make stretch Charlotte’s defense.

“I thought she got down the floor on their big kids really well and got position, and we did a better job of creating passing lanes and putting the ball in good spots for her,” he said.

Though this season, the A-10 conference has shown that no team is immune from defeat, the Colonials’ chance to make some noise on a national stage will come in March. The Colonials have beaten a pair of ranked teams already this season, but also fell hard to national power Rutgers in November. Still, Aston had some serious words of praise for McKeown’s group.

“Their defense is good enough to play against anybody. And when they shoot well, I think they can beat anybody,” she said.

The Colonials’ next match-up comes against Dayton, Jan. 29 7 p.m. at Smith Center.