George Washington University
Villanova
No. 21 GW Overpowers Villanova, 67-52
12/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 8, 2007
PHILADELPHIA, PA - The No. 21 George Washington women's basketball team played its best defensive game of the season, holding host Villanova to just 28.0 percent shooting in a 67-52 victory at the Pavilion on Saturday afternoon.
Junior center Jessica Adair led all players with 19 points, followed by senior Sarah-Jo Lawrence's 13. Junior Jazmine Adair reached double figures for the third straight game with 10 points.
Senior Kimberly Beck handed out a game-high nine assists, moving her to within six of Kathy Marshall's career program record of 580.
GW (7-3) played with starter Whitney Allen for the first time in five games. Allen had appeared in 100 consecutive games before being sidelined with a broken finger, which she injured before the season, on Nov. 23. She finished with five points, three steals and team-high nine rebounds. Junior starter Antelia Parrish missed her fifth straight game with a sprained ankle.
Offensively, Jessica Adair and Lawrence paved the way in the first half, scoring 19 of the Colonials' 34 points in the first 20 minutes. However, the tone was set on the defensive end, where the Colonials used heavy man-to-man pressure to limit the Wildcats to just four field goals in the opening period.
After falling behind 5-2 on Lisa Karcic's three-pointer at the 17:41 mark, GW rolled off a 32-11 run over the next 15 minutes to grab its largest lead of the half at 34-16. Three consecutive free throws from Laura Kurz cut GW's lead to 34-19 at the break.
Villanova (7-2) unloaded a barrage of three-pointers to start the second half to close within three, 36-33, but GW settled back into its man-to-man defense and quickly boosted its lead back to double-digits. Jazmine Adair's lay-up ended VU's 14-2 run and jumpstarted 16 straight points for the Colonials to blow the game open.
The lead ballooned to 20-or-more points three times in the final 8:22, the last on Jessica Adair's lay-up with 4:52 remaining.
Villanova finished just 14-of-50 from the floor (28.0 percent), marking the first time GW has held an opponent under 30.0 percent shooting since Feb. 11, 2007. The Wildcats' 52 points are the fewest allowed by the Colonials this season. Maria Getty led VU with 15 points.
GW begins a three-game homestand Tuesday, Dec. 18, against Loyola Marymount. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 pm.
