The Tribune

IN front of more than 1,000 school children from DMV-area schools, the George Washington Colonials women’s basketball team ran its winning streak to seven with a 68-52 victory over Atlantic 10 foe Rhode Island at the Charles E Smith Centre yesterday.

With the win, GW improves to 12-3 overall and 2-0 in A-10 play and also remains perfect in series history at home against the Rams, as the Colonials are now 23-0 all-time at the Smith Center versus URI.

National player of the year candidate Jonquel Jones once again led the way for the Colonials with a monster double-double of 19 points and 17 rebounds. Jones, the nation’s leading rebounder, grabbed five of her boards on the offensive end and was an efficient 6-of-9 from the field while also draining all seven free throws, dishing a team-high four assists and swatting a pair of Rams’ shots.

As has been the case throughout GW’s winning streak, the stifling Colonial defence held the opposition at bay throughout the contest. On the heals of a season-best 45 points and .256 field goal percentage allowed in the A-10 opener at Saint Joseph’s, GW limited Rhode Island to 52 points and a .290 field goal effort, including .194 from deep, in the first conference home game for the Buff and Blue.

Junior Caira Washington also registered a double-double in the victory with 15 points and 10 rebounds, the fourth time this season the duo has notched double-doubles in the same game. Junior Hannah Schaible’s 10 boards gave GW three players in double figures on the glass in a dominant rebounding performance that saw the Colonials grab 26 more rebounds than the visitors (56-30). GW entered the game leading the nation in rebounding while ranking second in rebounding margin and has now won the battle of the boards in all 15 games this season and in 46-of-48 since the start of the 2014-15 campaign.

For the sixth game in a row, GW made more foul shots than its opponent attempted, as the Colonials hit 22-of-30 from the line, paced by Jones’ perfect 7-for-7 effort, compared to the Rams’ 6-for-10 afternoon.

Up next for GW is a showdown with perennial A-10 power Dayton in a rematch of last season’s A-10 Championship game. Last season at Dayton, GW snapped what was then the nation’s longest home winning streak at 31 games, the first of three Colonials victories against the Flyers in 2015. Sunday’s contest will air on CBSSN at 2pm in the third of three straight national televised games for GW.