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RICHMOND, Va. >> Jonquel Jones scores 16 of her 21 points in the second half Sunday and No. 21 George Washington rallied for a 75-62 victory against Dayton in the Atlantic 10 Conference championship.
Jones, the conference player of the year and defensive 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 as the Colonials (29-3) won their eighth straight. The championship is their first since the 2003 season.
Amber Hoover led the Flyers (25-6) with 18 points, Kelley Austria had 15 and Ally Malott 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 8 of 33 shots after halftime, 24.2 percent, 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 and 10 rebounds for the Colonials.
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 then two free throws by Austria, the Colonials took over, dominating at both ends of the floor.
In the ensuing 17-5 run, Jones made two 3-pointers and a three-point play and Washington had two baskets. The burst gave George Washington 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 2 minutes, getting a driving basket from Amber Deane, a short jumper from Hoover and 3-pointers from Jenna Burdette and Malott. The Colonials, meantime, had trouble getting a shot off, committing three consecutive turnovers among their 15 in the half.
TIP INS
Dayton: The Flyers were outscored 23-7 on second-chance points and 12-3 on the fast break.
George Washington: The Colonials were making their 11th championship appearance, but first since 2006.
UP NEXT
Dayton will await an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
George Washington will await its pairing in the NCAA Tournament.
