The AU women’s basketball team is getting set to host crosstown rival George Washington in the “Phil Bender Day” game Dec. 8 at 2 p.m.
The Eagles have bounced back after starting the season 0-3 and will look to continue their winning ways against George Washington .
“We understand who we want to get shots when and where,” AU head coach Matt Corkery said. “But then it’s really a matter of the defense and what the defense gives us. What we’re doing on offense is improving and we’re getting better at figuring out what we’re supposed to do.”
The Eagles closed November out in a big way, scoring a season-high 85 points in a 28-point rout of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The game saw AU shoot a season-best 54.2 percent from the field and had 10 different players score.
“We were pretty consistent offensively the whole game, as well, being able to get field goals and not going for too many long drives without getting scoring opportunities, so that was good to see,” Corkery said.
One player getting the scoring opportunities for the Eagles is Jen Dumiak, who has led the team in scoring in every game except the loss against No. 9 Maryland.
“I think this year we have really good team chemistry,” Dumiak said. “Everyone supports each other, nobody’s selfish at all. It really helps when you have people on the bench supporting you and they’re bringing the energy, which picks you up on the court and it just helps everyone play better.”
Those are pretty humble words for a 5-foot-10 guard who averages 17.5 points per game and leads the team in rebounds as well with 3.7 per contest. Dumiak has been just the tip of the iceberg for a much-improved Eagles offense, with guards Alexis Dobbs and Geleisa George averaging 11 and 8.7 points, respectively.
For AU, the below-.500 record is misleading for a team determined to win its last home game before January.
“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to play at home,” Corkery said. “We’ve been on the road for [five games] so you could feel the energy of the players really looking forward to getting the chance to be at home. I think that [plays] a big part.”
George Washington is coming off a 70-54 loss to Georgetown in which the Colonials shot only 36 percent from the field. This will be the team’s first game in a week, compared to the Eagles, who faced Coppin State Dec. 5 at Bender Arena.
GW is led by Tara Booker, who scored a game-high 20 points with six 3-pointers in the loss to Georgetown.
The Colonials lead the all-time series with AU 12-9 and defeated the Eagles last year, 60-49.
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