George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
10-6, 3-1A10
Dayton
9-7, 3-1A10
Women's Basketball Falls at Dayton in A-10 Battle
1/8/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Highlights
DAYTON, Ohio - Graduate student Lexi Martins double-doubled for the third consecutive game with 11 points and 12 rebounds but Dayton was able to pull away in the waning moments to deliver the George Washington women's basketball team its first conference loss of the season, 50-48, on Sunday afternoon at UD Arena.
The matchup was typical of the rough-and-tumble battles that the two teams have embarked on over the past five seasons, as Dayton (9-7, 3-1 A-10) ultimately survived through five ties and 10 lead changes to pick up its first win in the series since March 8, 2014.
A jumper by Caira Washington gave GW (10-6, 3-1 A-10) a 48-46 lead with 3:02 left in the game but Dayton stormed back with a game-closing 4-0 run to clinch the comeback. GW had chances down the stretch but was unable to convert and a last-second, half-court attempt by junior Camilla Tapias was off the mark.
Dayton came out of the gate with a 16-2 run to open the game but the Colonials were able to chip away at the lead by going 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the opening period to cut the deficit to 18-12 after the first quarter. The Flyers shot 50-percent (9-of-16) from the field in the first period while GW struggled to find an offensive rhythm, hitting just 2-of-14 attempts.
The Colonials outscored Dayton, 17-11, in the second quarter thanks to four three pointers and continued to establish a presence at the free-throw line. A three-pointer by sophomore Mei-Lyn Bautista briefly gave GW a 23-22 lead before Dayton responded and later pulled ahead, 29-26, on a pair of free throws by Kelley Austria. Tapias and Martins also connected from distance in the period before sophomore Kelsi Mahoney tied the game just before halftime on a three-pointer from the top of the key to enter the intermission tied at 29-29.
Both teams struggled in the third period, shooting a combined 8-for-30 from the field, but the Colonials were still able to build their largest lead of the game at six points on a jumper by junior Kelli Prange with 5:22 left in the quarter. GW's defense did not allow a field goal until the midway point of the period, but Dayton was able to regain the lead at 37-35 on a three-pointer by Jenna Burdette with 2:04 left and carried a 40-38 lead into the beginning of the fourth.
The teams traded buckets throughout the first five minutes of the fourth quarter before a layup by senior Hannah Schaible gave the Colonials a two-point lead at 46-44 with 5:31 to play. Both teams then went into a scoring drought over the next few minutes ahead of Washington's jumper that would prove to be GW's final basket with 3:25 to play.
The Flyers got a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to two points and Austria put Dayton ahead for good at 49-48 with a three-pointer with 2:01 to play.
Martins complemented her double-double with four assists and three blocks while Washington joined her in double figures with 10 points along with nine rebounds, four blocks and one steal.
Austria led Dayton with 19 points but it came on 6-of-18 shooting. Burdette facilitated the offense for the Flyers with a game-high 11 assists to go with nine points and four rebounds.
GW will look to rebound when it travels to George Mason on Wednesday for an 11:00 a.m. game against the Patriots at EagleBank Arena.
