George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
Dayton
GW Wins A-10 Opener, Doubles-Up Dayton, 75-64
1/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2006
WASHINGTON, DC - The Colonials (8-4, 1-0) won their eighth-straight A-10 opener when they defeated Dayton (9-4, 1-1) at Charles E. Smith Athletics Center, 75-64. Two Colonials recorded double-doubles as Jessica Simmonds had season highs with 22 points and 14 rebounds while Kimberly Beck had 11 points and a career-high 12 assists. Dayton's Cara Wright led all scorers with 25 points and 14 rebounds.
GW remained a perfect 20-0 against Dayton but did not take control of the game until the final eight minutes, ultimately extending the lead to an 11-point victory. Dayton came out strong and led for almost the entire first half leading by as many as eight points midway through the first frame. It was the largest deficit that they Colonials have overcome in a win this season, in a game that featured 10 lead changes.
Simmonds was the difference for GW in the second half, scoring 13 of her season-high 22 points in the final frame. The senior put the Colonials ahead for good breaking open a tie at 54 with just more than eight minutes remaining in the game. GW never looked back, outscoring Dayton 21-10 the rest of the way.
Five minutes into the second half, the Colonials took control with a 10-0 run but then went cold and suffered through a scoring drought of almost five minutes. Dayton answered with its own 10-0 run to retake the lead, 48-46 with 11:30 left to play in the game and added another point before GW could retake the lead on a four-point run. Dayton's Wright tied the game at 54 with eight minutes left before the Colonials scored 10-straight points that went unanswered.
The Colonials scored first but were quickly behind on a Dayton three pointer. After GW went ahead, 4-3, Wright ran off five straight points to put Dayton ahead 8-4. Dayton rode a 6-0 run to 18-10 lead midway through the second half. The Colonials then got into gear and put together seven unanswered points over the next three minutes to cut Dayton's lead to one, 19-20.
GW evened the score at 26 on Beck's three-pointer for her first points of the game. Jessica Adair made back-to-beck buckets putting the Colonials up 30-28 with 2:14 left in the half for GW's first lead since the first minute of the game. The half ended knotted at 34 for the fifth tie of the game.
Beck played all 40 minutes for the third time this season recording an amazing seven of her 12 assists in the first half alone. She grabbed six rebounds and set a career-high with three blocks. She went 6-6 from the foul line for her eighth double-digit scoring game recording the first double-double of her already distinguished career.
Simmonds had an incredible all-around effort dishing out six assists, swiping three steals and blocking two shots. She went 7-9 from the field and 8-12 from the foul line en route to a season-high 22 points, just one off of her career high. This is the third game in her career that she has had 14 rebounds, all of which have come this season. This is her fourth double-double of the season and ninth since joining GW as a junior.
Starting forward Whitney Allen scored 12 points, going 6-8 from the field, but only played 16 minutes. Corinne Turner, the other starting forward, went 4-4 from the field. Dayton's Jennifer Strong had 15 points for Dayton and snatched three steals.
GW plays at Saint Joseph's (10-3, 2-0) on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. GW returns home on 1/11/06 to host #24/23 Temple at 5:30 p.m.
