ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Juniors Megan Nipe and Danni Jackson each netted 10 points as the George Washington women’s basketball team won its third straight game with a 54-46 victory over Maine on Friday afternoon at Alumni Hall in the opening game of the Navy Classic.
GW (4-3) used a furious defensive tempo coupled with red hot shooting from three-point range to clinch its third straight victory. The Colonials shot 64 percent (7-of-11) from beyond the arc while forcing 15 turnovers and holding the Black Bears to a 31 percent field-goal percentage.
The teams battled through seven lead changes and three ties in the first half. The Colonials dashed out to a 5-2 lead but Maine battled back to take an 11-10 advantage with 13 minutes left. GW responded with a 7-2 run to take a 17-13 lead but the Black Bears countered with a stretch in which they outscored the Colonials 11-3 over the next six minutes to take a 23-18 lead.
Nipe hit a three-pointer from the right wing to stall the run and senior Kristin Aldridge added a layup two minutes later to tie the score, 23-23. Two more threes from Jackson and senior Tara Booker sent the Colonials to intermission with a 31-29 lead. The Colonials hit six of their seven three-point attempts in the first half.
GW ramped up the defensive pressure out of intermission, employing a full-court press to force Maine into eight second-half turnovers. The Colonials also tallied seven of their 11 steals in the second half and held Maine to just eight field goals (28 percent) over the final 20 minutes.
The Colonials led by as many as seven points in the second half before a small rally by Maine cut the lead to three with consecutive jumpers from Amber Dillon.
GW regrouped and closed the game on a 7-2 run over the final eight minutes to clinch their third straight victory. The win marked GW’s first three-game win streak since beating Coppin State, North Texas and Ohio last November.
Nipe finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists while Jackson added 10 points and two assists.
Aldridge was effective at the point finishing with four assists against zero turnovers and sophomore Chelisa Painter provided a spark of the bench with six points and six rebounds in 21 minutes.
The Colonials will return to action in the finale of the Navy Classic on Saturday evening against Houston Baptist. Tip off from Alumni Hall is scheduled for 6:30 pm.
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