WASHINGTON – Senior Tara Booker registered her first double-double of the season with 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds as the George Washington women’s basketball team outlasted Old Dominion, 58-52, in overtime on Wednesday night at Charles E. Smith Center.
GW (3-3) erased a 10-point deficit over the final 10 minutes of regulation to force overtime and outscored Old Dominion (1-7) 16-10 in the extra period on the way to its second consecutive victory.
Booker was a force for the Colonials at both ends of the floor. The senior from Galloway, N.J., posted her first double-double of the season and seventh of her career, a feat she had accomplished by halftime. She finished with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting and hit four three-pointers, including a dagger in overtime that put the Colonials ahead for good, 52-50, with 96 seconds left.
Both teams got off to a slow start, shooting a combined 29 percent from the field in the first half. GW was 10-of-29 (34.5 percent) from the floor in the first 20 minutes while the Lady Monarchs connected on just 8-of-32 attempts. ODU held a 24-22 lead at halftime.
Old Dominion opened the second half with an 8-2 run to take a 32-24 lead and remained in control for the first 10 minutes, pushing the lead to as many as 10 with 10:37 left in regulation.
The Colonials buckled down on defense which in turn ignited a 13-3 run down the stretch. Junior Danni Jackson scored five of her 17 points in the late run with a long baseline three-pointer to pull GW within six and a slicing layup in the lane to cut the deficit to four with 5:49 remaining.
Both teams went scoreless over the next two minutes and 21 seconds before a crucial block by junior Shi-Heria Shipp gave the Colonials a fast break opportunity which was converted by redshirt junior Brooke Wilson’s acrobatic layup at the other end of the floor to cut the deficit to two.
he run was punctuated by a bucket from senior Sara Mostafa following a critical offensive rebound with 22 seconds remaining. Jackson had an opportunity to win it in at the buzzer for the Colonials, but her 15-foot jump shot was off the mark.
Freshman Chakecia Miller broke the tie with the first bucket in overtime but the teams traded the lead four times before Booker spotted up from the right wing and buried a long three-pointer off an assist from junior Megan Nipe. The triple marked Booker’s first field goal since the final minute of the first half and put GW ahead for good. GW went 4-of-5 from the free throw line following Booker’s basket to clinch the game.
Overall the teams battled through 10 ties and eight lead changes. The Colonials finished with a 32-28 advantage in points in the paint and forced 21 turnovers which translated to 11 points. GW also held a 15-13 advantage in second-chance points and a 6-4 edge in fast-break points.
Miller finished with 14 points, two rebounds and two steals while Jackson added 17 points and three steals.
Booker’s double-double was the first for GW since then-junior Tiana Myers’ 12-point, 10-rebound effort against Richmond on Feb. 19. Additionally, the win marked the first overtime triumph for the Colonials since Dec. 20, 2007 when they upset No. 10 Texas A&M, 66-65, at the Smith Center.
GW will return to action this weekend at the Navy Classic in Annapolis, Md. The Colonials will face Maine on Friday at 3 p.m. before playing Houston Baptist on Saturday at 6 p.m.
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