WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team opened the conference season 2-0, defeating George Washington 77-61 in a road contest at the Smith Center on Wednesday evening.
 
The Hawks (12-2, 2-0 A-10) record their second-best record under Head Coach Cindy Griffin after 14 games, her debut season the only other time starting at 12-2 under her tenure. That 2001-02 team started 14-2 before dropping their third contest. With the win, SJU upsets George Washington's (9-6, 1-1 A-10) four-game win streak.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams traded blows early in the first, creating five lead changes in the opening five minutes after a crafty assist from Mackenzie Smith to find a wide open Talya Brugler under the basket for her fifth point early in the contest to give the Hawks a 10-9 lead.
• A 10-2 Hawk run, led by six points from Smith fueled an 18-11 advantage for the Crimson and Gray at the end of the first quarter.
• Both teams started scoreless in the second for the opening 2:20 before the hosts were able to get a second chance opportunity and cut the Hawk's lead to five. On the ensuing possession, Olivia Mullins broke a duct of two games without a triple, answering with a corner trey to extend the lead.
• With the defense holding GW to one make in nine attempts, the Hawks kept growing the lead as Emma Boslet, fresh off a career-high in points and rebounds, secured an offensive board before drawing contact on the way back up. The junior would secure the three-point play to extend the lead to 27-15.
• The stifling defense continued as GW continued to find it hard to get easy looks, the Crimson and Gray turning that into offense on the other end. A beautiful full court pass from Mullins into the path of Laura Ziegler for an easy layup followed by a second triple for the junior guard gave the Hawks a 34-17 lead, forcing George Washington into a timeout.
• Mullins once again called her own number with her season-high third three of the first half to help the Hawks take a 39-22 lead into the break.
• With both teams shooting at an above .500 clip in the third quarter, the Hawks found turnover problems that led to extra opportunities for GW to climb back into the contest. SJU's seven compared to one by GW saw the Colonials pull within single digits before Boslet's second old fashioned three-point play of the game, pulling the Hawks back up to a 12-point lead with 20 seconds remaining. After holding GW's leading scorer in Mia Lakstigala scoreless in the opening half, the grad transfer netted her ninth point of the quarter to claw the Colonials' deficit to 54-45 entering the final frame.
• Mullins set her career-mark in triples early in the final frame, her fourth of the night reestablishing a double-digit lead for SJU.
• The Hawks did well to steady the waters over the majority of the fourth quarter, able to keep the Colonials at bay. On four separate occasions over the first eight minutes of the final frame, GW cut the lead to single digits. Each time was thwarted as the Hawks regained a double figure lead, never letting the margin fall below seven.
• Saint Joseph's fought off any potential comeback, making free throws to ice the game, walking out with a 77-61 win to start 2-0 on the Atlantic 10 campaign.

 
GAME NOTES

• Mackenzie Smith was one of four Hawks finishing in double figures, leading the way with 16 points on 7-10 shooting. Smith also tallied a career-high five assists on the night to lead SJU. Eight of her 16 points came within the first quarter.
• Laura Ziegler finished with her second collegiate double-double, recording a career-high 13 rebounds while adding 10 points.
• Olivia Mullins finished with a career-high 15 points, including a new mark of four triples in a game. Mullins' 15 points came on just six field goals.
• Talya Brugler also finished with 15 points to continue on her tear in the last eight games, now recording double figures in all but two games on the season.
• Entering the contest, the Colonials entered 15^th in the country in made threes and 42^nd in three point percentage. SJU held GW to 5-20 (25.0%) from the field, well below both averages.
• The Hawks finished 26-43 (60.5%) from the field, the first time shooting above 60% since November 12, 2017 in a win at Niagara (35-57, 61.4%).
• The Hawks were efficient from deep, knocking down seven of the 15 attempts for 46.7%.
• SJU tied for its most turnovers in a game on the season, finishing with 20 compared to GW's nine.

 
UP NEXT

• The Hawks open the home slate of conference play on Saturday afternoon, hosting Saint Louis in a 2 p.m. matchup on January 7 inside Hagan Arena.