After 26 minutes of play, the Massachusetts women’s basketball team was dead even with one of the top teams in its conference. But for the other 14, the Minutewomen looked like a mere shadow of the team that beat Temple just one week earlier as they lost to George Washington, 83-62 in Washington, D.C.

Regardless of how well the team performed in the other 35 minutes, it was a five-minute stretch in the middle of the second half that dashed any hopes of victory for the Minutewomen.

A devastating 15-3 run for George Washington (16-10, 8-3 A-10) ruined what was, up to that point, a good night for UMass (10-16, 3-8 A-10) as the once close game digressed into a blowout.

‘In the second half, we came out and stopped shooting the ball,’ UMass coach Marnie Dacko said of the team’s second half slide. ‘We stopped shooting the ball, we put the ball down and then everyone stood and we kind of looked around instead of going on the attack and taking open shots.’

The Colonials played spoiler for sophomore Teya Wright on one of her best nights offensively this season. Wright recorded 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting while for 5-for-5 from the foul line. Wednesday’s point total was her highest total since her 24-point performance at Colorado back in November.

Seniors Stefanie Gerardot (16 points) and Sakera Young (11 points) contributed with double figure point totals. Meanwhile, freshman standout Kristina Danella was limited to six points and redshirt sophomore Diatiema Hill did not score. Danella, normally one of the team’s best shooters, went 2-of-10 from the field, including 1-of-6 from behind the arc.

Wright, who was struggling to stay in games earlier this month, has returned to form. However, it would not be enough against the Colonials.

UMass took the lead at four different points in the first half but failed to produce a lead of more than three points, allowing George Washington to storm right back into the lead.

With a 32-31 lead and eight seconds left in the half, it looked as though the Minutewomen were going have the lead going into the locker room. However, when junior Kim Benton fouled George Washington’s Tara Booker behind the 3-point line, she gave the Colonials the opportunity to steal the lead away right before the half. And Booker did, hitting all three free throws.

UMass would not regain the lead for the rest of the game.

‘If we come into the locker room up 10 or 11, it’s a vote of confidence for us and we get them talking to themselves,’ Dacko said. We had them where we wanted them in the first half in terms of running them and getting [the Colonials] in foul trouble and we didn’t capitalize on it.’

Foul shots would prove to be a pain in UMass’ side all night as it shot a pedestrian 59 percent from the line.

‘We had great opportunities to go into the locker room and be up about 10,’ Dacko said. ‘And we missed free throws ‘hellip; it’s those free throws that will come back to haunt you.

The second half began well for the Minutewomen as they stayed dead even with the Colonials and, with a Teya Wright layup, forced a 42-42 tie with 14:13 left on the clock.

The tie, though, would be the last time the Minutewomen would get close to victory in the game as a Yolanda Lavender 3-pointer sparked what would become an 18-4 run after which UMass could not recover.

From the tie on, George Washington outscored UMass 41-20, erasing any trace of the close game that had existed beforehand.‘ ‘ ‘ ‘

Taking care of the ball was once again an issue for UMass as it lost the turnover battle to the only team in the A-10 with a worse turnover ratio (-4.36). The Minutewomen had 16 giveaways compared to George Washington’s 12.

Nick O’Malley can be reached at [email protected].