Nipe, Jackson, Jones Lead GW Women's Hoops Past North Carolina A&T, 80-54

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WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- Grad students Megan Nipe and Danni Jackson and sophomore Jonquel Jones combined for 61 points as the George Washington women's basketball team defeated North Carolina A&T, 80-54, on Saturday afternoon at the Charles E. Smith Center for its third straight victory.

Making her GW debut after transferring from Clemson last December and sitting a full year due to NCAA transfer rules, Jones posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, connecting on 7-of-10 field goal attempts. Nipe poured in a game-high 23 points, and Jackson added a season-best 21 to go with seven assists, as two Colonials topped 20 points for the first time since Jackson and Tara Booker ('13) did it on Jan. 7, 2012 against Fordham.

Freshman Caira Washington pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds, the most by a Colonial this season, and matched her career best with five blocks.  With the seven helpers, Jackson became the seventh Colonial ever with 400 assists in her career and just the third with 1,000 points and 400 assists, joining Kimberly Beck ('08) and Anna Montañana ('05).

GW (7-4) led by three, 51-48, with 10:59 left in the game, but a three-pointer by Jackson ignited a 27-6 run over the final 9:50 of action, including 14 straight points to start the surge. Jackson scored all 13 of her second-half points during the game-ending run. The Colonials' lead peaked at 27 on a three-pointer by freshman Shannon Cranshaw that made it 79-52 with 55 seconds left.

Jones scored GW's first eight points, as the Colonials jumped out to an 8-3 lead, but A&T (7-2) responded with six straight to take a 9-8 lead with 14:40 left in the half. The score remained close for the next seven minutes, with three ties and neither team leading by more than four.

The Aggies led, 17-16, at the 9:01 mark, but a pair of free throws by Nipe put the Colonials on top for good and sparked a 16-2 GW run that included six straight points from Jackson, as the Colonials took a 32-19 lead. A&T rallied back with an 11-3 run of its own to cut its deficit to five, 35-30, at the break.

Nipe scored seven of GW's first nine points out of the break as the Colonials regained a double-digit lead, but the Aggies again responded with a 12-5 run to pull within three, 51-48, with 10:59 to go. Neither team found the basket again for 69 seconds before Jackson's three started GW's big game-ending run.

The Colonials shot 64.3 percent (18-28) in the second half and finished at a season-high 53.4 percent (31-58) in the game. GW reached 80 points for the fourth time this season.

Debbie Smith led the Aggies with 21 points and six rebounds. A&T, which saw its seven-game win streak snapped in the loss, shot just 29.7 percent (11-37) in the second half and 32.8 percent (19-58) in the game while committing 25 turnovers.  The Colonials return to action next Saturday, Dec. 28, when they host crosstown rival American at 2 p.m. at the Charles E. Smith Center.


COURTESY THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS