Faced with an opponent who had defeated them just two weeks ago, the GW women's basketball team entered Saturday afternoon's Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament semifinal looking for revenge against the VCU Rams and seeking to advance to the Atlantic 10 finals for the second year in a row.
This time the Colonials had the services of national player of the year candidate Jonquel Jones, and GW easily handled VCU, 72-58.
The top-seeded GW women (25-6) will play in Sunday's championship game vs. the winner of Saturday's second semifinal match-up between #2 Saint Louis and #3 Duquesne. The A-10 women's championship will be televised at noon on ESPNU.
Ms. Jones came off the bench for the second consecutive game. In her 21 minutes of action, she scored 11 points and ripped down 18 rebounds in a huge double double effort. Seven of her rebounds came on the offensive end, while the 2015 A-10 Defensive Player of the Year also blocked four Rams' shots.
Ms. Jones and first team all A-10 member Caira Washington helped the Colonials' front court dominate VCU. The Colonials never trailed and rode Ms. Washington's huge double double of her own, as her 18 points and 13 boards paired with Ms. Jones' effort for 29 points and 31 rebounds between them. As a team, VCU had 38 rebounds, while GW corralled 54 boards.
GW led 19-11 after the first quarter and 37-31 at the half, before ratcheting up the pressure in the second half. By limiting the Rams to seven third quarter points--the second consecutive game in which GW has held its opponent under 10 in a quarter during the second half--the Colonials pushed their lead to 15 entering the final quarter. The lead grew to 17 early in the fourth quarter, before GW cruised to the win.
Hannah Schaible (12 points) and Lauren Chase (11 points, game-high eight assists) also scored in double figures for GW, while fellow starter Kelli Prange chipped in eight points (4-of-8 shooting) and six boards.
The Colonial defense also held VCU to a .310 field goal percentage in the game (22-of-71), while limiting All A-10 Third Teamer Adaeze Alaeze to 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting.
GW's appearance in Sunday's championship game will mark the team's 12th all-time appearance in the finals, as the Colonials look to secure back-to-back Atlantic 10 tournament championships, the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and the team's sixth all-time A-10 crown (1992, 1995, 1996, 2003 and 2015).