Led by Meghan Nipe’s career-high 31 points, the George Washington women’s basketball team pulled off a 75-72 upset over No. 10 California on Friday night at the Charles E. Smith Center.
Danni Jackson’s clutch 3-pointer with three minutes, 11 seconds left in the game proved to be the clincher for the Colonials (2-0), giving them a 69-67 lead over the Golden Bears (3-2), which they wouldn’t give back.
GW led by as many as six points in the first half, when Nipe and Jackson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to break a 9-9 tie. Cal rallied to tie the game at 21-21 with nine minutes left and then used a 19-9 run to close out the half, giving it a 41-34 lead after 20 minutes of play.
The second half was competitive throughout as both teams battled for momentum. The Colonials surprised the Golden Bears with a quick 9-2 run, tying the game up 43-43 on a 3-point shot by Nipe. After leading by one with nine minutes, six seconds to go, GW rallied for seven consecutive points to take a game-high eight-point lead at 61-53.
But Cal battled back. Mikayla Lyles’ 3-pointer sparked a 14-5 run for the Golden Bears and gave them a 67-66 lead with only a few minutes remaining. That’s when Jackson hit her 3-pointer, and the Colonials held the lead for the remainder of the game.
St. Bonaventure cruises past Niagara
Katie Healy’s double-double led St. Bonaventure to a comfortable 73-57 win over Niagara on Tuesday night at Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center.
The sophomore tied her career high with 21 points and recorded a new career high with 14 rebounds.
The Bonnies (4-1) scored the first basket of the game on a Gabby Richmond layup, but then went five and half minutes without scoring. It was sluggish on both ends as the Purple Eagles (0-3) also failed to score for the first six minutes.
But Healy would end the drought in a big way.
Healy caught fire and scored 11 points during a 13-2 run with just five remaining minutes left in the first half. Healy’s success spread to Nayla Rueter, who matched her teammate’s 11 points all within the last minute and a half, clinched by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to put the Bonnies up 39-20 at half.
St. Bonaventure came out sluggish again for the first six minutes of the second half and Niagara took advantage. However, its 7-1 run would not suffice. The Bonnies’ lead held safe lead for the remainder of the game, cruising to the 16-point victory.
Jacobs leads GMU to comeback over Towson
Trailing by eight with less than three minutes remaining, Kyana Jacobs took matters into her own hands, forcing a turnover that rallied George Mason to a 60-58 win over Towson at the Patriot Center on Tuesday afternoon.
The Tigers (1-3) came out of the gates fast, opening the game on an 11-2 run carried by seniors Nyree Williams and Tanisha McTiller with four points each. Down 18-8 with 12:07 left in the half, the Patriots (5-1) scored 13 straight points to take a 21-18 lead.
Both squads traded baskets during the second half, as LaTorii Hines-Allen led the Tigers’ offense with the first eight points of the half. Cierra Strickland’s basket at the midway point marked the sixth tie of the game at 46-46. Towson had the game in its grasp after Hines-Allen and McTiller scored back-to-back baskets followed by an 8-2 run to put the Patriots down 58-50 with only a few minutes remaining.
Three forced turnovers by the Patriots keyed their final comeback to tie the game at 58-58 with less than a minute left. Jacobs forced another turnover, causing the Tigers to foul her, sending her to the free throw line, where she made both shots.
Robert Acer can be reached at [email protected].
