KINGSTON, R.I. – Junior Danni Jackson scored 16 points and senior Tiana Myers added 15 as the GW women’s basketball team defeated Atlantic 10 Conference rival Rhode Island, 63-42, on Wednesday evening at the Ryan Center.
The Colonials (9-9, 2-2 A-10) scored the first six points of the game and never looked back, as they forced five turnovers in the first four minutes of play. Ram guard Ashley Rivera kept the hosts in the game for most of the first half, draining five 3-pointers, and had her team down just four, 24-20, with 5:32 to play. But GW closed the period with a 17-3 run the rest of the way and led, 41-23, at the break. Jackson, Myers and junior Megan Nipe combined for all 17 points during the spurt, as the Colonials tallied their second-highest first-half output of the season.
The Rams (1-18, 0-4 A-10) never got closer than 14 points in the second half. Leading, 51-37, at the 7:21 mark, the Colonials scored 10 straight points over the next six minutes to take a game-high 24-point lead, 61-37.
After making just three of their first 13 field goal attempts in the game, the Colonials made 19 of 35 the rest of the way, and finished at 45.8 percent in the game, while holding the Rams to just 29.4 percent from the floor. GW was also a perfect 15-for-15 at the foul line, its best mark of the season.
Jackson’s 16 points came on 5-of-10 shooting and 5-of-5 at the charity stripe. Myers added six rebounds, three assists and three steals to her 15 points, while Nipe tallied 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting off the bench. Senior Tara Booker added eight points and a team-best eight rebounds. Every Colonial had at least one assist, as GW tallied 16 helpers on 22 total field goals.
Rivera led Rhode Island with 17 points on 5-of-8 from 3-point range.
GW scored 18 points off 19 URI turnovers while committing just 11 in the game, including only one in the first half.
The Rams’ 42 points in the game are the second-fewest GW has allowed this season; Texas-Arlington scored just 41 in the season opener. Similarly, Rhode Island’s .294 shooting percentage was also the second-lowest by a Colonial opponent on the year to Radford’s .250 on Nov. 26.
The Colonials return to action on Saturday, when they visit A-10 rival Duquesne.
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