Women's Basketball Welcomes Wildcats to Close Homestand

Thursday, December 6

Washington, D.C.

7 p.m.

George Washington University

Villanova

12/5/2018 12:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball

GW and Villanova renew acquaintances on Thursday

WASHINGTON - GW wraps up its three-game homestand with a visit from Big East foe Villanova, the third meeting between the two schools in the last four years. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. with the game broadcast on ESPN+. The Colonials are 2-2 at the friendly confines at 22nd and G thus far this year, besting Ivy League-favorite Princeton and knocking off local nemesis Towson last week.

LAST TIME OUT: The Buff & Blue fell in a nip-and-tuck affair with Monmouth on Sunday, 55-51. Neither team led by more than five points in the contest with the decisive stretch being an 11-2 spurt for the visitors across the third and fourth quarters. Three Colonials - Mei-Lyn Bautista, Olivia Gumbs and Neila Luma led the team with 10 points each. Sarah Overcash ripped down a career-best 14 rebounds, eight on the offensive end.

BALANCE ACROSS THE BOARD: Gumbs became the seventh different Colonial to reach double figures this season, scoring eight of her 10 points in succession during GW's run in the third quarter to take a five-point lead. Bautista reached double figures for the fourth straight game while Luma crested 10 points for the third straight outing. The duo represents two of four Colonials (Gumbs and Maddie Loder) who have led the team or tied for the team lead in scoring so far this season.

THE GOOD KIND OF D.C. SHUTDOWN: GW once again possesses a strong defensive unit, holding opponents to 59.6 ppg, tied for third-best in the A-10. Tuesday was the fourth time this season GW has held an opponent to 55 points or less. The Buff & Blue have held six of their eight opponents to below their season average entering the game.

The Buff & Blue boasted a top-50 defense nationally in 2017-18, allowing just 58.5 points per game. GW has finished among the top 50 in both years under head coach Jennifer Rizzotti. Dating back to her time at Hartford, Rizzotti's team's have allowed fewer than 60 points per game in four straight seasons.

SHUTTING DOWN THE DEEP SHOT: Monmouth became yet another victim of the Colonials perimeter defense, connecting on 8-of-28 threes (28.6 percent) Tuesday. So far this year, the Colonials have allowed 5.9 threes per game and are holding opponents to 23.2 percent shooting, the top mark in the Atlantic 10 and 17th-best mark in the nation.

A LOOK AT THE WILDCATS: Villanova enters Thursday's matchup with a 5-2 record after besting Saint Joseph's 47-35 on Sunday. The win was the second against an A-10 foe for the Wildcats, who had previously beaten La Salle, 81-68, on Nov. 28. Villanova posts a stingy defense that ranks 16th in the country and has allowed less than 50 points in four of its five wins with the win over the Explorers being the lone exception. On offense, Villanova is 17th in the country with 9.4 made three's per game and 12th in the nation with just 12.4 turnovers per contest. Kelly Jekot leads a trio of Wildcats averaging double figures with 14.4 points per game. She also paces the team and ranks in the top-50 of the NCAA by shooting 46.2 percent from beyond the arc.