2018 Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Tournament; Semifinals Recap

After Friday’s exciting action in the Atlantic 10 women’s basketball tournament quarterfinals, the semifinals were held at the Richmond Coliseum on Saturday to determine who would face off in Sunday’s final.

Dayton vs George Washington

In the first semifinal, top-seeded Dayton faced off against fifth-seeded George Washington. The Colonials got off to a 6-0 start thanks in part to their defense, then a three-pointer gave them an early 11-5 lead.

Dayton showed why they’re the one seed, however. They ended the first quarter on a 9-2 run and led 14-13 heading into the second quarter.

Down five, George Washington went on an 10-0 run to take a five-point lead with four minutes left in the half. Dayton would stick around, but George Washington took a 27-25 lead into the locker room.

After a closely-contested third quarter, George Washington maintained a 37-34 lead. They were just one quarter from heading to the Atlantic 10 women’s basketball tournament final.

George Washington tried pulling away in several parts of the fourth quarter, but Dayton wouldn’t give in. A free throw by Jayla Scaife would make it a 50-47 game with under a minute left.

While they were able to hang around, they weren’t able to conquer. George Washington would upset top-seeded Dayton by a final score of 58-53.

Saint Louis vs Saint Joseph’s

The second semifinal featured Saint Louis against Saint Joseph’s for a right to play George Washington for the conference title and a spot in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

Saint Joseph’s would get off to a very hot start, leading 14-4 early on. They would lead 16-8 at the end of the first quarter.

Saint Louis’ shooting in the first didn’t help them, either. They went 4-18 from the field and 0-3 from three.

They were down, but not out, however. The Billikens went on a 8-2 run of their own to make it a two-point game with six minutes left in the half. While they were able to keep it closer in the second quarter, they were never able to take the led. Saint Joseph’s held a 24-18 halftime lead.

Saint Louis’ shooting began to improve in the third quarter, going 6-12 from the paint and 4-4 from the free throws line, as they closed the gap to 33-30 with three and a half minutes left in the third. The Hawks shot well from three, however. Two consecutive threes at the end of the quarter gave them a 41-34 lead headed into the final quarter.

Both teams went back and forth throughout the fourth, but it was too little too late for Saint Louis. Saint Joseph’s would win by a final score of . They will face George Washington in the Atlantic 10 women’s basketball tournament final on Sunday.