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No. 5 seed George Washington gets A-10's NCAA tourney bid

Posted March 04, 2018 6:00 am

The Associated Press

George Washington's Brianna Cummings (5) makes a basket while double guarded by Saint Joseph's Alyssa Monaghan (12) and Sarah Veilleux (30) during first half of the Atlantic 10 Championship NCAA college basketball game in Richmond, Va., Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Bell) The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Brianna Cummings, the Atlantic 10 Tournament's most outstanding player, scored 17 points to help No. 5 seed George Washington win its seventh A-10 title with a 65-49 victory over sixth-seeded Saint Joseph's on Sunday for an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

George Washington (19-13) was picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll, even after back-to-back regular season and tournament titles in 2015 and '16. But second-year coach Jennifer Rizzotti guided Cummings, Kelli Prange and Taylor Campbell to the senior's third conference tournament championship in the past four years. Rizzotti, a national champion at UConn, will return to the NCAA's for the first time since 2011 when she was at the helm at Hartford.

Prange, the A-10's sixth woman of the year, added 14 points in 23 minutes for George Washington. Kelsi Mahoney scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from distance, the last on a baseline shot to extend GW's lead to 55-41. Freshman Neila Luma chipped in 10 points.

The tournament was wide open after the No. 2 seed Duquesne and third-seeded Fordham lost in the quarterfinals on Friday and top-seeded Dayton fell on Saturday to GW.

Amanda Fioravanti led Saint Joseph's (18-14) with 12 points. Chelsea Woods, averaging a team-high 15.6 points per game, was limited with four fouls and finished with eight points. The Hawks competed in their 12th A-10 title game - but first since 2013.

George Washington scored on six straight possessions late in the third quarter to begin to pull away for a 49-37 lead. Cummings started it with two free throws, Mahoney sank a 3-pointer from the wing, and Luma spun in the lane for a fast-break layup and then sank a turnaround jumper. Cummings banked in a shot and Chyna Latimer capped it with an up-and-under move.

George Washington made all 12 of its free throws, compared to Saint Joseph's three attempts, and scored 18 points off 16 Hawk turnovers.

George Washington's Mei-Lyn Bautista (21) drives the lane for a basket with Saint Joseph's guard Chelsea Woods (32) in the lane during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Atlantic-10 championship tournament in Richmond, Va., Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Bell) The Associated Press

Saint Joseph's Sarah Veilleux (30) finds an opening against George Washington guard Brianna Cummings (5) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Atlantic-10 championship tournament in Richmond, Va., Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Bell) The Associated Press

Saint Joseph's Adashia Franklyn (33) and Sarah Veilleux (30) deny George Washington Brianna Cummings (5) a shot during first half of the Atlantic 10 Championship NCAA college basketball game in Richmond, Va., Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Bell) The Associated Press

Saint Joseph's Chelsea Woods (32) regains possession of the ball against George Washington during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Atlantic-10 championship tournament in Richmond, Va., Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Bell) The Associated Press

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