George Washington University Athletics
GW Women's Hoops Hosts Crosstown Rival American on Saturday
12/26/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 26, 2013
WHO: GW Women's Basketball (7-4)
WHAT: Game #12 vs. American (7-3)
WHERE: Charles E. Smith Center (4,338), 600 22nd Street NW
Directions to Smith Center | Parking Options | Public Transportation
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 28 at 2 p.m.
HOW: Buy Tickets
VIDEO: Free on RaiseHigh Live or A-10 Mobile App
STATS:
AUDIO: WRGW Sports
TWITTER: @GW_WBB | @GWGeorge | #RaiseHigh
NOTES: GW Notes
| American Notes
WASHINGTON - The George Washington women's basketball team goes for its fourth straight win when it hosts crosstown rival American on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Charles E. Smith Center.
Saturday's game will be just the third in the last 19 days for GW (7-4) but begins a busy stretch of four games in nine days.
The Colonials defeated North Carolina A&T, 80-54, last Saturday for their third straight win. At 7-4, GW has posted its best record through 11 games since 2008-09, when it also started 7-4 en route to a berth in the WNIT.
GW used a dominating second half to beat A&T, outscoring the Aggies, 27-6, over the final 9:50 of action. Grad students Megan Nipe (23) and Danni Jackson (21) and sophomore Jonquel Jones (17) combined for 61 of GW's 80 points. Nipe and Jackson gave the Colonials two players with at least 20 points for the first time since Jackson and Tara Booker ('13) did it against Fordham on Jan. 7, 2012.
Making her GW debut after transferring from Clemson last winter and sitting out a full year due to NCAA transfer rules, Jones posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, connecting on 7-of-10 field goal attempts. The 2012 Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year and Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year at Riverdale Baptist, Jones picked up where she left off at Clemson, where she averaged 9.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in eight games before transferring to GW.
Jackson dished out seven assists to go with her season-high 21 points, becoming the seventh Colonial ever with 400 assists in her career and just the third with 1,000 points and 400 helpers. Averaging 4.6 assists per game, which ranks sixth in the A-10, she is now tied for sixth all-time at GW with 406 assists and 24th with 1,087 points.
Freshman Caira Washington pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds against the Aggies - the most by a Colonial this season - and matched her career best with five blocks. She has impressed in her rookie campaign, as she ranks third in the Atlantic 10 in rebounding (8.5 rpg) and blocked shots (1.4 bpg) and seventh in field goal percentage (.495).
Averaging 73.2 points per game this season, GW has scored at least 70 points in six of its seven wins with four efforts of 80 points or more. The Colonials' offense is paced by Nipe, the Atlantic 10's fourth-leading scorer, who is averaging 18.5 points per game. She has scored in double figures in every game but one this season while topping 20 five times.
Saturday's game is the 23rd all-time meeting between GW and American since 1977, and the Eagles hold a slight 12-10 edge in the series. The District rivals have met in each of the last three seasons, but prior to 2010-11, they had not faced off since 1998. Nipe is averaging 16.0 points per game on 57.9 percent shooting in two career contests against AU. She led the Colonials with 14 points and seven rebounds in last season's 57-54 loss at Bender Arena.
Under the direction of first-year head coach Megan Gebbia, American (7-3) has won four of its last five games after defeating Coppin State, 64-42, last Saturday. Shaquilla Curtis led the Eagles with 14 points and Alexis Dobbs posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists and added a team-high seven rebounds.
Dobbs ranks sixth in the Patriot League with 15.6 points per game, and is the only Eagle averaging double figures on the season. She also leads the PL in assists (5.9 apg) and ranks fifth in field goal percentage (.500). In addition, Dobbs is one of the top three-point threats in the Patriot League, averaging 2.4 treys per game and shooting 44.4 percent from beyond the arc.
American boasts the top scoring defense in the Patriot League, allowing just 54.8 points per game while outscoring opponents by a league-best 10.5 points per contest. The Eagles also lead the PL in turnover margin, committing just 12.9 miscues per game while forcing 15.1.
