RICHMOND — Jonquel Jones scored 16 of her 21 points in the second half and No. 21 George Washington rallied for a 75-62 victory against Dayton in the Atlantic 10 Conference championship game on Sunday.
Jones, the A10 player of the year, played just nine minutes because of foul trouble in the first half, but made up for her absence after the break. The Colonials (29-3) won their first conference championship since 2003.
Amber Hoover led the Flyers with 18 points, while Kelley Austria had 15 points and Ally Malott added 14. Dayton coach Jim Jabir used just seven players until the final minute, and the Flyers’ third game in three days took its toll. They made just eight of 33 shots after halftime, often missing badly.
The Colonials also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Flyers, 56-34, with 27 offensive rebounds.
Chakecia Miller added 12 points and Caira Washington had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Colonials, who were making their 11th championship appearance but first since 2006.
Trailing 37-29 at halftime, the Colonials used an 11-2 run to open the second half to take a 40-39 lead. The teams traded baskets for several possessions, but after Dayton went ahead 47-45 on a jumper and two free throws by Austria, the Colonials took over.
In George Washington’s ensuing 17-5 run, Jones made two 3-pointers and a three-point play and Washington made two baskets. The burst gave the Colonials a 62-52 lead, and the Flyers never really challenged again.
The game was a basket-for-basket affair for the first 10 minutes until Jones went to the Colonials’ bench with her second foul.
Dayton immediately reeled off 10 consecutive points in two minutes, getting a driving basket from Amber Deane, a short jumper from Hoover and 3-pointers from Jenna Burdette and Malott. The Colonials, meanwhile, had trouble getting a shot off, committing three consecutive turnovers among their 15 in the half.
The Flyers (25-6) were outscored 23-7 on second-chance points and 12-3 on the fast break.
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