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Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 6:54 p.m.

Women’s basketball team clinches A-10 berth with win over Bonnies

by Elizabeth Traynor

Senior guard Danni Jackson maneuvers down the court against St. Bonaventure. Jordan Emont | Photo Editor

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Alexandra Kist.

The Colonials clinched a spot in the Atlantic 10 championship Sunday afternoon with a 57-52 win over St. Bonaventure. It was a valuable victory that gleaned much of its strength off the team maintaining rebounding advantage and stopping transition scoring.

Coming off a two-game losing streak, the Colonials (12-14, 6-6) entered the Smith Center replenished with new focus and tenacity, clearly evident in the team’s offensive drives and defensive rebounds in the first half.

The Bonnies shot the first trey of the game, but that was the only time the Colonials were not tied with the Bonnies or on top on the scoreboard. GW had an impressive start to the game, striking with quick field goals in the paint, scoring on baseline drives, and converting 100 percent of its first half free throw attempts.

“The energy comes from one person at a time. We really feed off of each other,” senior forward Megan Nipe said. “One person is energetic and hyped, we all eventually get there and that’s what makes us successful. When we are energized and motivated, I think we intimidate other teams.”

Halfway through the first, the Colonials got into a steady rhythm, as Nipe totaled five rebounds and senior forward Shi-Heria Shipp put six points on the board, converting three of her four attempted field goals.

The Colonials’ first half strategic edge over the Bonnies was evident by the defensive rebounds and steals made by the unrelenting seniors Danni Jackson, Shipp, and Nipe. Jackson grabbed an impressive rebound as she wiped across the floor for a save with a little over two minutes left in the first.

Shipp had a commanding run, scoring 10 points and Nipe countered the Bonnies’ shooting attempts with eight rebounds out of her eventual 13 of the game, her career-high.  Jackson and Shipp each ended with 12 points, while Nipe added 10 and graduate student forward Tara Booker added 11. Sophomore Chakecia Miller also added a career-best 10 rebounds.

“It’s really just a personal focus of mine, making sure I crash the boards every time. When a shot goes up, I happen to be guarding someone near the bucket, so that helped with my rebounds,” Nipe said. “I think I just knew that this game would come down to whoever put up [a win] on the boards and if we get out and run off the defensive rebounds, that would give us a big advantage.”

Even with a five-point lead over the Bonnies at the end of the first, 30-25, the Colonials only converted 39 percent of their field goal attempts. The team’s focus in the second half was to dominate the court: even with missed layups and open shots, the players sought keep the momentum going to stop St. Bonaventure’s ball movement.

In the second half, the Colonials continued to their push off the strength of an impressive trey by Booker and five more rebounds from Nipe, furthering the team’s dominating defensive execution that has greatly improved with the progression of the season.

“We’ve challenged our guards and from day one we’ve talked about the question, ‘can we be a good rebounding team?’” head coach Jonathan Tsipis said.“I think we are our best when we rebound it, transition, and attack off the dribble.”

GW remained in control of the court and held a strong advantage in the second half until the last two minutes of the game, where fouls against GW lead to the Bonnies’ free throw conversion that pulled the score within 4 points. However, the Colonials countered with two quick baskets, closing in the game with GW on top.

Tsipis contributes the win to his team playing their best basketball of the season and its success on stopping transition scoring and its strength in rebounding the ball. GW closed the game holding the Bonnies to 32.1 percent shooting and grabbed a 49-35 advantage on the boards.

“The two biggest things that go overlooked, especially, is that you can stop a team that likes to go on transition if you control the backboards because they’re not able to defensively rebound and get the ball out,” Tsipis said. “I think the other thing is that emphasis of us trying to stop the ball early, and that’s been a ‘three headed monster’ we’ve been working to fight. I think they are all doing a better job at slowing the ball down and they did a good job of recognizing their team shooters and drivers and playing them accordingly.”

The Colonials have two more games until the A-10 championship begins,  and next head to Xavier for the final away game of the regular season.

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Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013 5:54 p.m.

Women’s basketball team takes down Butler

by Elizabeth Traynor

Senior guard Danni Jackson drives down the court Sunday afternoon. Sam Klein | Contributing Photo Editor

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Brennan Murray.

Over the course of the season, the Colonials have gotten accustomed to grinding out close games, to earning victories the hard way, by sacrificing style for true grit, and comfortable wins for hard-fought thrillers.

But if the court was a canvas on Sunday, GW painted it with untraditional ease. The starters gelled in a way they haven’t all season and the bench provided a crucial backdrop on which the team could rely on in a moment’s notice.

Perhaps more than anything, the Colonials’ inaugural (11-12, 5-4) trouncing of Butler in the Smith Center showed that head coach Jonathan Tsipis’s players are beginning to understand their roles on floor. And as Tsipis noted, as players begin to fulfill their responsibilities, they learn to play an unselfish brand of basketball – the brand Tsipis prefers.

“I think that was our most complete game of the season,” Tsipis said. “And the stat I’m probably most proud of is how we shared the basketball today. That’s 23 assists on 30 made field goals.”

After coming off of two straight wins against La Salle and Richmond, the Colonials looked to extend their conference success against the Bulldogs before they head to take on Fordham this Wednesday. With confident shooting, dominant rebounding, and its typical tenacity on both sides of the ball, GW ran away with a 17-point lead, garnering a painless 77-60 win.

On Butler’s first possession, sophomore guard Chakecia Miller wasted no time introducing herself to the Bulldogs’ point guard. Ripping away a steal in their backcourt, Miller dribbled twice and dropped in an effortless layup. And then, on the very next possession, she corralled a loose ball and flung it up court, setting up another easy Colonials’ bucket.

Miller, whose efforts on Sunday justified her role as GW’s turnover-causing machine, also shot well from the floor, hitting seven of 13 field goals and finishing with a game-high 18 points.

“I’m just trying to take on the personality of my coach. He’s really aggressive and I want to be really aggressive and competitive as well,” Miller said. “So when I’m out there, if I see the ball I’m gonna get it.”

Nineteen total turnovers aside, GW established a balanced offensive attack in the first half that gradually picked up speed as time elapsed. After some passing miscues and resulting Butler baskets on the other end, the Colonials settled down about ten minutes in. Booker and freshman guard Aaliyah Brown drained consecutive threes, giving GW an energy boost that lifted it to a six-point lead at halftime.

After only a few second-half possessions, the Colonials’ starters – and bench players alike – molded into a cohesive unit on the floor. GW improved on its 36.1 percent first-half field goal percentage by draining nine of its first 10 field goals in the second, ending the game with a 65.4 percent tally compared to Butler’s 38.5 percent mark over the same period of time.

“I’m so excited for the team,” Tsipis said. “I’m going to show a lot of emotion on the sideline and I want them to play with that passion and that vigor.”

As the Colonials’ lead grew, from 11, then to 16, and eventually to 17 by the final horn, Butler’s confidence took a visible hit, symbolized not only by disapproving head shakes from its coaching staff, but also from the Bulldogs’ resorting to three-point shots and a full-court press before the second half even reached its midpoint. Getting stronger on both sides of the ball, the Colonials broke the Bulldogs’ press, poured on points in style, and eventually earned the win.

Along with Miller, graduate student forward Tara Booker, senior guard Danni Jackson, and graduate student center Sara Mostafa all finished in double figures, tallying 16, 10, and 12 points, respectively. Booker added ten rebounds as well, earning her a double-double.

“We had a good fight last game and I feel like we were just focused on coming out and not only maintaining that effort, but building on it,” Miller said. “Everybody was just really focused and locked in.”

Tsipis, who grew more and more animated as his team’s lead grew in the latter part of the second half, was impressed with his team’s execution. He sees the potential his team has, and hopes to gain some separation from the rest of the conference field as February rolls forward.

But the coach also knows that there are still many issues that need to be addressed, namely  turnovers and consistency.

“We’re sticking to our goal. We’re getting better each practice and each game,” Tsipis said. “But as far as us improving, we’ve got to be consistent with it. We can’t rebound today and then go to Fordham on Wednesday and not have that same kind of fight.”

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Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013 10:30 p.m.

Women’s basketball team grabs narrow win over Richmond

by Elizabeth Traynor

Sophomore forward Chakecia Miller leaps to the net Wednesday night. Sam Klein | Contributing Photo Editor

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Sophia Omuenu.

With two seconds left in play, sophomore guard Chakecia Miller drained a layup off an assist from senior forward Shi-Heria Shipp, solidifying the Colonials’ three-point win over the Richmond Spiders.The last 24 seconds of the game consisted of aggressive defense between Miller and Shipp that pushed GW to victory. After leaping to gather her fourth rebound of the game, Shipp passed the ball down to Miller, who forced her way into the paint in order to give GW a one-point lead. Soon after, Miller stole the ball to drive home the final tally.

Thanks in part to the team’s aggressive play until the final seconds, GW walked away with a 57-54 victory over Richmond.

“When we went into the locker room [at halftime], [head]coach [Jonathan Tsipis] said that we have to find a way sometimes,” Miller said. “And I think we did that.”

GW (10-12, 4-4) started the game with strong transition play and equally challenging offensive game. But both teams played an aggressive man-to-man defense, which ultimately led to 11 lead changes.

Within the first four minutes, the Colonials attacked the Spiders with a half-court press that included traps whenever possible. A Miller dish to freshman Alexis Chandler, who ended the game with five points, made the score 14-11 with 11 minutes left in the half.

Richmond replied with a half-court press during the Colonials’ next offensive possession but GW was able to maintain their composure.

“With the timeouts we just had to re-group, calm down and just think about what we were doing down there,” Miller said. “We just can’t get too amped up during the game because your adrenaline is running.”

At the end of the first half, the Colonials were up by five points, 32-27, due to senior forward Megan Nipe’s closing three-pointer.

Richmond, however, entered the second half with a renewed intensity and went on an 8-0 run until Nipe broke their momentum with a quick jumper.

“I think [Richmond head] coach [Michael] Shafer had his team ready coming out of the locker room to start the second half with just a higher intensity than we had,” Tsipis said. “We kind of went back and forth.”

Graduate student forward Tara Booker helped the Colonials slowly come back from a six point deficit with two made free throws and a quick jumper off of fellow graduate student forward Sara Mostafa’s offensive rebound.

Booker ended the game with six points and 10 rebounds, while Mostafa contributed four points and four rebounds.

“I think the thing I’m most proud of is the way the team battled. We had to get the rebounds off of the missed free throws. We had to push the ball up the floor,” Tsipis said.

As both teams battled back and forth, the Colonials were one point from tying the game with 52 seconds left. After missed free throws from the Spiders, GW capitalized on the additional opportunities to execute plays.

The final series of plays between Miller and Shipp were not drawn up by Tsipis, but ultimately led the team to an exciting victory. It was an example of his team “finding a way to win,” and the head coach was quick to note that, overall, the win was a teamwide effort. Nipe contributed a total of 12 points while senior Danni Jackson added six.

“You don’t get style points in basketball,” Tsipis said. “You get wins and losses.”

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Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013 3:33 p.m.

Women’s basketball team rebounds with victory over La Salle

by Elizabeth Traynor

Senior guard Danni Jackson charges down the court against Duquesne. Hatchet File Photo by Cameron Lancaster | Hatchet Photographer

It was a three point game when graduate student forward Tara Booker released her three-point shot.

It sunk into the basket, putting the Colonials up by six. 20 seconds later, she drilled another. GW was now up by nine, a crucial widening of its lead in a game that had been a tight contest throughout.

Booker’s two treys sparked a massive scoring run for the rest of her team, providing momentum for GW to decisively close out a 74-57 victory over La Salle. They were two important baskets, and they were examples of exactly the type of role head coach Jonathan Tsipis expects from his upperclassmen.

“We did a good job finding her in the first one and we were able to come right back,” Tsipis said. “It gave us life. It allowed us to be more aggressive in transition.”

From the outset, it was clear that the game could be a defensive battle, neither team able to control the ball well out of the gates. GW had 17 turnovers over play, while La Salle had 15. The game stayed tight through most of the first half. The Explorers switched between different zones to try to confuse the Colonials and halt their shooting.

Still GW was able to take a small four point lead heading into halftime. The advantage came off the strength of 41.7 percent shooting, and the team finding a mis-match down low with senior forward Shi-Heria Shipp, who was able to put away a number of baskets for the Colonials.

“She got us going. She got us that lead toward the end of the half,” Tsipis said. “It was just a matter of closing possessions with our rebounding.”

Though play was tight to open the second half, off the strength of Booker’s back-to-back treys GW widened its lead with a significant scoring run, finally firing on all offensive cylinders. The Colonials shot 51.4 percent over the second half, including 80 percent from behind the arc.

The team had a balanced scoring attack, with five players in double digits. Booker led the way with 13 points and seven boards, while graduate student forward Sara Mostafa posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards. Shipp finished with 12 points, while senior guard Danni Jackson and sophomore guard Chackecia Miller had 11 each

“I think that makes us much more dangerous,” Tsipis said. “It’s hard to game plan against multiple scorers.”

Defensively, GW tried to control La Salle’s ability to get out in transition, setting traps in transition that slowed the Explorers’ ball movement.

The Colonials opened the game in a man-to-man defense, but seemed to struggle with some of their matchups, leaving La Salle shooters open. Switching into a 2-3 zone, the team seemed more comfortable, challenging their opponents with greater ease. With leading Explorer scorer Brittney Wilson sidelined, La Salle turned to Ebony Jones. But Jones found herself in foul trouble, limiting her play.

“We had talked about playing a bit more zone just because, overall, they were a team that relied more on jumpers. In that aspect we felt like the zone would help us keep the ball in front better,” Tsipis said. “I just thought our activity level in the zone was really good.”

The Colonials didn’t relent on their pressure throughout the game, holding the Explorers to 32.8 percent shooting. Earning a slim 41-37 rebounding edge, GW tightly controlled the paint, picking up a 40-22 scoring edge. The Colonial bench also far outperformed La Salle’s, scoring 18 points while the Explorers had zero contributions aside from its starting five.

The victory was an important one for a GW squad that suffered a crushing double overtime loss against Duquesne. Defeating La Salle was a win that revitalized the Colonials’ energy, giving them more momentum as they head into the last month of Atlantic 10 play.

“It’s huge. You’re definitely worried about that ‘we should have won the game [feeling].’ It was just fun because we came out, we didn’t play great but I didn’t feel like we put our heads down,” Tsipis said. “And you hope, when you go through a close game like that, sometimes the best thing to do is get back out. I wanted to get back out and play Thursday.”

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Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013 5:55 p.m.

Women’s basketball team easily takes down Rhode Island

by Elizabeth Traynor

Sophomore guard Chakecia Miller navigates around a Rhode Island opponent. Jordan Emont | Photo Editor

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Brennan Murray.

With nine minutes and 53 seconds remaining in the first half, graduate student center Sara Mostafa jumped up to the backboard and landed on the hardwood with her first offensive rebound.

Then, after missing a contested layup, Mostafa elevated again and corralled another board. Going up to the hoop one last time, Mostafa drew a foul, earning herself a trip to the line – the hard way.

Though not a flashy sequence, that snapshot from Sunday’s game against Rhode Island serves as an apt example of the Colonials’ relentless style of basketball. It’s a style that helped GW (8-11, 2-3 A-10) easily take down the Rams, 57-43, and one that may give it a chance to make up ground in the A-10 standings as the season gets hot.

After suffering a tough loss against Dayton on Thursday, head coach Jonathan Tsipis praised his team for responding with such an unselfish and energized performance against the Rams.

“I thought my team came out with great energy and really did a great job of rebounding the ball and pressuring the basketball defensively,” Tsipis said. “That led us to get in our transition game much more effectively, especially in the first 12 minutes of the first half. And then in the second half, it was the same thing.”

From the tip-off it seemed clear that the Colonials’ speedy play, especially in transition, would take a toll on the comparatively slower Rhode Island defense. Senior guard Shi-Heria Shipp, a player that Tsipis said brings a unique edge to the floor, looked poised to take control of the offensive attack from the start.

Finishing with 12 points on the day, Shipp was just one of the many rotating pieces in the GW lineup that contributed to the victory. Thanks in part to a smothering man-to-man defense that confused the Rams, and also because of a season-low 13 turnovers, GW established a fast-paced and deadly offensive run in the first half.

Though the Colonials shot only 36.4 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, 11 second chance points helped the cause, as did a growing reliance on Mostafa and graduate student Tara Booker, who took high percentage shots that helped GW tally 20 points in the paint by the end of the half. Mostafa ended the game with a total of nine points, and Booker compiled 12 of her own.

Referring to last Thursday’s Dayton game, Tsipis said his team learned a lot from the bad loss – and then showed off what they learned on the court.

“When you work on something that an opponent has done to you, it’s a little more eye-opening,” Tsipis said. “Off makes, off misses, we were able to push the ball, and again, now we have post players running and getting into good position where they can help contribute.”

Despite taking a couple of blows from the Rhode Island’s offense at the close of the first half, mostly strikes from three-point land, the Colonials returned to domination shortly after the second half began. Sophomore guard Chakecia Miller wreaked havoc on her Rhode Island counterparts, garnering steal after steal and finishing with an impressive ten takeaways by the final buzzer.

On the offensive end, GW roared forward with ease, opening with three consecutive buckets, the final one a product of a nifty dish underneath the hoop from senior guard Danni Jackson. Jackson, who has been struggling to find her own from the field this season, hit a three from the corner with just under four to play. It was a shot that not only brought the Colonials’ lead to 14, but also one that visibly sapped Rhode Island’s already dwindling energy levels.

Though the Rams found some open looks that technically kept them in the game, the depth of GW’s bench coupled with their aggressive transition offense proved far too difficult a task for Rhode Island to overcome. The Colonials never lost their lead in the second half and ultimately ran away with the win.

For the Colonials’ offense to have worked so effectively on Sunday, Tsipis and his players agreed they not only needed the starters ready to perform right out of the gates, but also for bench players, like Mostafa, to enter the game with seamless energy and focus.

“We’re always going hard for everything because coach [Tsipis] demands perfection. We strive for that everyday at practice so that’s how we’re able to carry it over to the game,” said Mostafa.

Booker added that, as one of the starters, it was a plus to know confidently that there would be no “drop off” in quality of play when bench players entered the game. Because of the effort from freshmen like guard Alexis Chandler, who routinely took over at the point guard position, the five players on the court were always able to pick up where the previous five left off.

With a growing offensive chemistry that manifested itself fully on Sunday, Tsipis has high hopes for the Colonials as they head into the final – and most significant – third of the season. But at the same time, he knows, there is still plenty of work to be done.

“We have to be able to execute better in the half court, whether it’s man or whether it’s zone,” Tsipis said. “Sometimes too, I think, we got a little content with keeping the ball on the perimeter.

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Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013 4:43 p.m.

Colonials snap five-game losing streak at VCU

by Elizabeth Traynor

Senior forward Shi-Heria Shipp leaps en route to a lay-up. Hatchet File Photo by Jordan Emont | Photo Editor

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Jake Deitcher.


GW ended a its five-game losing streak Sunday by reversing a pattern, turning its season-long struggles on offense into an efficient and methodical attack. The Colonials (7-10, 1-2) defeated Atlantic 10 newcomer VCU 79-68, committing to attacking the heart of VCU’s 2-3 zone defense.

GW attempted only nine treys over the course of the game and they converted just one, but the Colonials shot an efficient 53 percent from the field overall. The balanced offensive attack produced five double figure scorers and forced the Rams into attempting 20 three-point shots in an effort to keep up with the Colonials’ offense.

“We got good looks against the zone and moved the ball into the middle of the floor,” head coach Jonathan Tsipis said. “We did not settle with our shots, which was important in keeping up on offense.”

VCU could not key in on any particular GW player, because many were scoring proficiently.  Sophomore guard Chakecia Miller led GW with 20 points, converting six of seven shots and making  all eight of her free throw attempts. It was Miller’s second straight game of scoring 20 or more points. Graduate student Tara Booker, who added 19 points, supplemented Miller’s scoring efforts and graduate student Sara Mostafa posted a double-double after chipping in thirteen points and ten rebounds.

GW showed off the complete potential of its offense as the first half came to a close. The Colonials, down by four, were determined to avoid a sixth straight defeat. They closed the half on a 10-0 run to take a 42-36 lead into the break.

“We got good looks early and in the second half we kept up the effort and we did a good job,” Tsipis said. “We built confidence on offense and we kept attacking. With that mindset, the attack mentality that I’ve been proud of, we will continue to improve our offense.”

The team supplemented its shooting with a strong showing at the charity stripe, going 20-for-21 from the free throw line. Further supporting GW’s attack was a dominant defensive showing that gave it a 43-30 advantage on the boards and held the Rams to 33.8 percent shooting on the game.

The victory against VCU was the first A-10 win of the season for the Colonials and Tsipis’ first as a head coach. While Tsipis and his squad are glad to have snapped their five-game losing streak, they are more encouraged by the overall quality of play that led to the win on Sunday.

“Even better than breaking a losing streak is playing really well,” Booker said. “We executed on offense and we shared the ball well. Right now we are looking to be more consistent.”

Consistency will be key as the Colonials prepare for conference play. Tsipis is encouraged by his team’s victory against VCU- especially that the win came on the road. Four of the five games during GW’s five game losing streak were on the road and every victory away from the Smith Center will require maximum effort and focus.

GW will play another conference road game Thursday when they take on Dayton. Tsipis acknowledges that the Flyers are a tough opponent and will be a real test for his team, but he trusts his players.

“The losing was tough. But they have not stopped working hard in practice. To go on the road and to be able to come on the road and sustain a high level of play makes me proud,” Tsipis said. “They have done a good job of being accountable for their play and getting extra work in. They have taken a lot of responsibility upon themselves to improve and get better.”

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Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 1:52 a.m.

Colonials deflated by Hawks’ hot shooting

by Nick Ong

Freshman Alexis Chandler drives baseline against a Hawks defender. Chandler had a career high 10 points in the game. Zachery Krahmer | Senior Staff Photographer

The Colonials’ game plan worked perfectly – but only for the first five minutes.

Starting off in a 2-3 zone defense, GW hoped that its speed and up-tempo play would be enough to close off the open gaps.  But it wasn’t enough in the end, as the Hawks’ 51.9 percent shooting in the first half allowed them to hold off a second half GW run and give them the 80-67 win.

“They did a really good job I thought after we made the initial run of executing some things against our zone that got [Saint Joseph's player] Erin Shields some open looks,” head coach Jonathan Tsipis said. “And I think that deflated us a little bit.”

As the Colonials’ early 8-2 lead began to disappear, the Hawks began to find their shot – and it was contagious. For GW’s defense in the first half, it became a lose-lose situation.

With Saint Joseph’s consistently attacking the basket from an inside-out approach, GW had two options: continue to rotate and help on the zone defense or risk the one-on-one match-ups down inside. When a team like Saint Joseph’s shoots 58.3 percent from the three-point line in the first half, neither option is a good one.

The Hawks continued to find open shooters as GW’s zone failed to rotate and get out quick enough.

“Sometimes you can have somebody run something great x’s and o’s that you run out of people to guard it,” Tsipis said. “And sometimes it’s based on effort, and I think when we watch on film, we had the opportunity to get out there.”

Down 43-24 at halftime and facing its largest first half deficit of the season, Tsipis emphasized two things to his team: rebounding and putting the ball on the floor. GW went out in the second half and did just those two things.

The Colonials began to attack the lane, making some shots of their own, and getting to the free throw line when they didn’t. They became aggressive on the offensive glass, and were quick to grab a rebound on the defensive side after a rare Saint Joseph’s miss.

Before you knew it, the Colonials had gone on a 21-9 run, and were now down just 10 with eight minutes and 53 seconds left to play. The first moments of the game were a tease, and so was the hard-fought comeback. The Hawks’ sharpshooter – junior Erin Shields – made back-to-back three pointers, and again Saint Joseph’s was back up by 16, and again the rest of the team began to catch fire.

When the final buzzer sounded, it was an 80-67 loss for the Colonials – their fifth straight.

“I’m really proud of the way our kids battled and came out in the second half,” Tsipis said. “They got it down to nine and really dug in whether it was half court or full court defense and really made it more of a transition game where we could get to the free throw line.”

Freshman Anjaleace White goes up for a contested lay-up during Thursday’s game. White finished with two points and five rebounds for the Colonials. Zachary Krahmer | Senior Staff Photographer

A bright spot for the Colonials was freshman guard Alexis Chandler, who scored a career-high 10 points off the bench, getting some extra playing time with only eight players dressed for the game.

Senior forward Shi-Heria Shipp, nursing a day-to-day foot injury, and graduate student guard Brooke Wilson, with a knee injury, sat out.  Freshman guard Aaliyah Brown was cleared to play this morning, but “didn’t seem herself,” Tsipis said, and played only two minutes for the Colonials.

With the shortage of guards, Chandler took advantage of her opportunities, going 3-5 from the field and making all four of her free throws. Her energy was a spark the team needed in the second half, something Tsipis said did not come as a surprise.

“What you saw today when she attacked the baseline in the first half and finished and even in transition in the second half, she’s been doing that more and more,” Tsipis said. “I think she knows the team needs her defensively to bring that enthusiastic presence where she’s really loud and on the ball.”

Sophomore guard Chakecia Miller scored a team-high 20 points and senior forward  Megan Nipe put up 17 points of her own, but those were not enough to combat the five Hawk starters who all scored in double figures.  Leading the way of those starters for the Hawks was Shields, who scored a game high 25 points off of 7-12 shooting.

GW outrebounded the Hawks 41-34 and had an 18-6 advantage on second-chance points, but its 36.5 percent shooting compared to the opponents’ 43.4 percent did the team in, ultimately making the first half deficit too much to overcome.

“I feel like we need to learn how to play hard for the full 40 minutes and like coach mentioned, not just the second half,” Miller said.

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Monday, Jan. 7, 2013 12:12 a.m.

Women’s basketball falls short to North Carolina A&T

by The GW Hatchet

Senior guard Tara Booker dodges a Saint Louis defender last season. Hatchet File Photo.

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Alexandra Kist.

After falling to Saint Mary’s 79-49, GW came into battle against North Carolina A&T hoping to claim victory and continue a 7-7 non-conference opponent record for a second year in a row. But in the first Colonial match-up against the Aggies, they fell short, losing 67-56.

The Aggies jumped out in front of the Colonials, taking the momentum of the game with a 6-0 lead within the first two minutes. GW countered that intensity with several steals by graduate student forward Tara Booker and sophomore guard Chakecia Miller and a three-pointer by senior forward Megan Nipe to temporary pull ahead, 7-6.

“My team plays hard and has the faith that no matter what the deficit is, they have the mindset to chip away at it and put themselves in a good position to succeed,” head coach Jonathan Tsipis said.

Both teams went back and forth with the lead until two free throws from senior guard Shi-Herria Shipp gave the Colonials a four-point lead with just five minutes to go in the half.

But GW quickly lost its lead due to the Aggies’ effective turnovers and defensive strategies, which contributed to their 10-1 run ending the half on top, 26-21. The Colonials were left a five-point deficit to compensate at the start of the second half.

“We weren’t playing our best basketball yet,” Tsipis said. “It was about a three or four point-game with 10 minutes to go, but we had a little foul trouble.”

To close in on the Aggies’ lead at the onset of the second half, the team needed to make constructive adjustments on the offensive and defensive fronts.

“We can’t give up easy baskets off of missed free throws and we have to convert our rebounds,” said Tsipis.

The Aggies took control of the second half before the Colonials could strike back, commanding 30-23 lead. The Colonials responded with stellar trey by Booker, which led to alternating baskets between both teams, keeping the Colonials with the Aggies.

Fouls on both sides of the court were a key part of the second half – especially against the Colonials. The team’s fouls led to 26 free throw attempts in the second half, of which the Aggies converted 18.

“When you go on the road, you have to adjust to how the game is going to be called. The fouls that were called on us during the second half were due to us not as being as disciplined as we’re capable of being,” Tsipis said.

North Carolina A&T maintained their lead throughout the entire second half, despite Shipp’s career-high of 16-points, and Nipe’s season-high of 15 points. The Colonials made three more field goals in the second half than the Aggies, but were outscored at the free throw line by 11 points – the difference in the final outcome of the game.

“The Aggies were at the double bonus nine minutes into the second half. Even when they went through a scoring drought field goal wise, they were still able to get to the line. We have got to be more aggressive and disciplined on the defensive end,” Tsipis said.

Next Saturday, the Colonials face Massachusetts in an A-10 conference matchup.

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Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012 6:54 p.m.

Women’s basketball team falls to Virginia Tech

by Elizabeth Traynor

Head coach Jonathan Tsipis talks to his team during a media timeout. Hatchet File Photo by Samuel Klein | Hatchet Staff Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Sophia Omuemu.

A series of missed free throws and turnover after turnover ultimately led to GW’s 50-31 loss to former A-10 rival Virginia Tech Sunday.

With six minutes and 44 seconds minutes left in the first half, senior guard Megan Nipe sank a jumper from beyond the three-point arc that left the Colonials just three points shy from tying the game. But the score was only 14-11- showing that both teams, at first, struggled to put points on the board.

Coming off a 48-37 victory against USC Upstate, the Colonials entered Sunday with hopes of obtaining their third straight win. But though GW started off strong with a basket the paint by graduate student forward Sara Mostafa, its energy steadily declined throughout the first half.

“We knew they would come out feeling more comfortable at home and having a week off since their last game,” head coach Jonathan Tsipis said. “We had to make sure we finished possessions. We had to rebound the ball.”

The Hokies pulled out an intense press within the first three minutes of play but the Colonials were able to keep their composure, Tsipis said. He added that the Hokies played a very physical game and that the Colonials had to learn how to play through it.

Senior guard Danni Jackson answered on GW’s defensive end, nabbing her 16th steal of the season early in the first. Jackson was then able to convert this steal into a layup, putting GW four points ahead 6-2, exemplifying the sort of play that’s enabled the Colonials’ defense to make an immediate impact on the young season.

“I think this [defense] has kind of been our mark. So far, we’ve been really good defensively and we still held them to 50 points,” Tsipis said.

But despite her aggression, that was the sole basket Jackson would make on the first half, a sign of the team’s broader offensive struggles. As both teams battled, the Hokies man-to-man defense proved to be a challenge for the Colonials. It made GW’s defense even more important as GW could shoot only 26.7 percent. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, was limited to 21.4 percent shooting.

Two treys from Nipe, who ended the game with six points, five rebounds, and two assists, and graduate student forward Brooke Wilson gave GW a boost heading into the break. Yet, at the half, the Colonials had been outrebounded 19-15 and committed 13 turnovers compared to the Hokies’ eight.

“We were down four by the halftime. We had to have a better sense of urgency,” Tsipis said. “Offensively, we talked about controlling the board and getting into our press to get our transition game going.”

But the Colonials just couldn’t make things click on the offensive. Virginia Tech doubled down after the break, using the momentum from its 20-7 run before halftime to hold GW without a basket for nine minutes in the second. The Hokies, while holding the Colonials without a shot, continued to make baskets down the stretch to put the game away, exiting the game with a 40.4 shooting percentage.

GW ended the game converting six of the 23 free throws into points, making them only 27.3% from the charity stripe. The missed opportunities were one the team needed to grab, Tsipis said.

“I thought that we got to the foul line in the second half, we just weren’t able to capitalize,” Tsipis said.

With 13 seconds left in regulation, sophomore guard Chakecia Miller sank two free throws, eventually leading the team with seven points, three rebounds, and two assists, but at that point, it was too late for GW to pull out a victory.

As the team prepares to head to Morgan State Wednesday, however, Tsipis said he’s not discouraged by the loss. The head coach is confident his team will learn from and build upon its errors.

“It’s just a matter of going back and looking through the film and seeing how we can make adjustments,” Tsipis said.

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Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 10:45 p.m.

Colonials roar to victory with suffocating second half

by Elizabeth Traynor

Senior Danni Jackson looks for an opening to send the ball to a teammate during Friday’s game. Becky Crowder | Senior Staff Photographer

Jonathan Tsipis answered a key question in his Division I head coaching debut: yes, he can make halftime adjustments.

Heading into the break, the Colonials had a mere three-point lead on UT Arlington, born of a sputtering offense that closed the half with 30.2 percent shooting. After halftime, by the time the final buzzer sounded, GW had added 53 points to the board – almost exactly double its first-half total – for the 80-47 final margin.

“There was a lot of energy and adrenaline, especially in the first half. We let it get the best of us at times. What I tried to tell the team was that I felt like we worked hard on the defensive end, we were trying to do the right things offensively, we were just putting too much on each others’ kind of collective, individual shoulders,” Tsipis said. “This group is a lot of fun to be around. And I think, at times, they’re trying so hard for each other that they’re kind of spinning their wheels.

The first half didn’t see things click for either team, the game scoreless through the first three minutes of play. The Colonials struggled to find offensive footing, watching shots sail wide or rim out, wrapping the half with 30.3 percent shooting, 0-for-4 from the three-point line and having committed 10 turnovers.

A lot of it was first-game jitters, both players and coach agreed. Senior forward Megan Nipe, who went 0-for-5 in the first half, said the pressure to be “on” in her final Colonial debut was crushing over the initial 20 minutes of play.

Adding to the nerves was the intense, highly physical nature of play. Both teams took the court with high levels of energy, exiting the first with 18 combined fouls. Two of those went to sophomore guard Chakecia Miller, who was relegated to the bench for the rest of the half, hampering GW’s offense by forcing senior guard Danni Jackson to spend most of her time at the point, rather than switching to the two slot on some possessions.

“If somebody gets two fouls, they’re going to be next to me for the rest of the half, unless there’s dire circumstances,” Tsipis said. “We like Danni to have that balance, to play the point, as well as be off the ball, and she was at the point for most of the first half.”

But the first wasn’t wholly without positives. Despite their frustrating performance at the basket, the Colonials remained focused on the gritty aspects of play: hustling back on defense, crashing through traffic in the paint and gathering a 24-17 rebound advantage.

It was a focus that set GW up well for its second-half turnaround, and one that fell in line with what Tsipis preaches daily in practice. He doesn’t ask his team to be perfect, the head coach said, but he does expect perfect effort.

“I think one thing we talk about a lot is, what are you able to control. The one thing that a lot of people get caught up with is the ball going in the basket. And sometimes you can’t control that,” Tsipis said. “I think the team has done a really good job of understanding you can’t control an official’s call, you can’t control sometimes when you have a layup that feels great and it rolls off the rim.”

As soon as the whistle blew on the second half of play, it was almost as if a different Colonials squad was on the hardwood. Nipe exemplified the transition, opening the half with a quick series of blows in the form of four baskets, two rebounds and two steals.

“I think it’s just recognizing that I had those first game jitters. It’s senior year, first game, you want to play well. But when you’re nervous, it’s hard to make your shots when you’re that nervous,” Nipe said. “It was pretty much talking to myself, my teammates talked to me, they believe I can make the shots. It was all about believing in myself.”

The rest of the Colonials followed suit. Their energy level was high and the team was clearly feeding off each other on the court. GW’s offense exploded, increasing to 52.5 percent shooting – including 75 percent beyond the arc – and the Colonials upped their number of rebounds on the game to 54.

GW’s crushing press defense, which was visible in the first, found renewed legs in the second, the team holding the Mavericks to 29.6 percent shooting on the game, nabbing 17 steals and forcing 33 turnovers that it converted into 40 points. After a system last season that focused largely on zone defense, the Colonials’ transition into its effective press has been almost seamless.

Head coach Jonathan Tsipis talks to his team during a media timeout. Samuel Klein | Hatchet Staff Photographer

“It’s really all about energy, our press, and we brought a lot of energy into the second half,” Jackson said. “It’s really just a team effort when it comes to our press.”

GW’s success spread across the stat sheet. Four Colonials reached double-digits in points: Jackson, with 13 and seven assists, Nipe, with 12, nine boards and four steals, Miller, with 12, and senior forward Shi-Heria Shipp, with 11 and eight boards.

It was Shipp that provided a clear jolt of energy off the bench for GW, drawing five fouls as she relentlessly chipped away at the Mavericks’ defense. Tsipis has asked Shipp to provide that key sixth-man role for the Colonials this year, seeking her out as a vital addition to the starting lineup.

“She’s a physical defender who’s going to take the ball to the rim with reckless abandon,” Tsipis said. “I really have seven starters, depending on the opponent.”

Also on full display Friday night was the clear camaraderie among GW’s ranks. Jackson, Nipe and Tsipis couldn’t help themselves from grinning their way through the postgame press conference, and the Colonials’ bench was fully engaged, exemplified by the celebration that erupted when sophomore walk-on guard Maria Saia scored her first collegiate points in the final minute of the game.

GW began the game with a starting lineup of seniors and graduate students, and closed out play with freshmen and sophomores on the court. It was fitting that Tsipis’ first victory also provided a glimpse into the future of his program.

“I have four freshmen that, they work every single day in practice,” Tsipis said. “I do have great goals for them. And part of that is understanding that to be a great player in college, you have to practice hard every single day. And they’ve got good role models.”

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