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Monday, May 20, 2013 9:20 p.m.

Smith Center hardwood gets new D.C.-decorated design

by Nick Ong

GW Athletics unveiled a new floor design for the Charles E. Smith Center on Monday, highlighting the landmarks of our nation’s capital.

Updated: May 21, 2013 at 6:01 p.m.

The National Mall will become GW basketball’s playground next year. Or, at least, it will look like it.

The athletics department unveiled new Smith Center floor plans Monday, featuring a design adorned with District monuments like the White House, Capitol building and Washington Monument. The court will be completed by the end of the summer.

“When people around the world are watching our games, we want them to immediately recognize and understand the university’s unique setting in the middle of the action in this world-class city,” athletic director Patrick Nero said in a release.

In addition, the new design gives fans a taste of what GW has pushed to improve spirit in the last year, with #RaiseHigh to be lettered on the side of one baseline.

Universities nationwide have increasingly turned toward new court designs to serve as branding devices, like University of Oregon’s court, which resembles a forest of fir trees.

The new court will not tack on any added cost because it was designed in-house and part of the Smith Center’s annual resurfacing, executive director for athletics communication Brian Sereno said.

The design also falls in line with the department’s efforts to add splashier marketing and facilities upgrades outlined in the athletics strategic plan, which called for an infusion of funds into programs ignored because of budget pressures and the set up of a Buff and Blue Fund to bolster donations.

Patrick Nero, the athletics director, said last summer that that budget upgrades and new tactics are already making an impact.

“I think what we’re seeing right now, and this is not a secret, is we’re seeing it have a very positive impact on recruiting. The facility upgrades, the money we’re putting into television, a little bit more aggressive marketing,” he said.

Both the volleyball team and men’s and women’s basketball teams will play their entire 2013-14 seasons on the new court, including next yeas’s A-10 volleyball championship, which is scheduled to be held at GW in November.

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Saturday, March 9, 2013 3:46 p.m.

Colonials season ended at hands of top-seeded Dayton

by Nick Ong

Senior guard Danni Jackson maneuvers down the court against St. Bonaventure. Hatchet File Photo by Jordan Emont | Photo Editor

There would be no upset special today.

Instead, it would merely be the final game of the Colonials’ 2012-13 campaign.  The final game in head coach Jonathan Tsipis’ first year at the helm.  And the final culmination of strong careers from graduate students Tara Booker and Sara Mostafa.

It was a game in which GW was simply outmatched by the No.1 seeded and nationally ranked No. 11 Flyers, as Dayton won by a final score of 74-49.

“I think the thing that they are so good at is that they can hurt you in so many ways- in transition, posting under the rim, the shooters on the three point line,” Tsipis said.  “And the thing that they do really well is that they’re unselfish- they’re gonna find the open person.”

Dayton, known for their high-paced transition offense, immediately began to run the floor and never stopped.  As one Flyer grabbed the rebound, the rest streaked down the court waiting for the quick outlet pass and good look at the basket.

The Colonials just couldn’t get back fast enough.  There was no time to set up into their defense as within one or two Dayton passes, the ball was already inside and ready to be put up.  The Flyers ended the day with 32 points in the paint and 16 assists, indicative of their very efficient offense.

“I think in the first half, in the first six or seven minutes, we did a good job at least stopping the ball and getting people matched up,” Tsipis said. “Sometimes it wasn’t necessarily who we wanted on different people, but I think the deeper we got into the first half, we started getting a little out of our game plan.”

As GW defenders consistently got caught on screens, Dayton shooters were left wide open to throw one up.  They finished the day shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from behind the arc.

Leading the way for Dayton were guards Andrea Hoover and Samantha Mackay, who scored 12 and 15 points respectively on a combined 11-19 shooting, 4-5 from three-point range.

As the Colonials finally began stepping out on shooters, the Flyers’ offense adjusted.  One simple pump fake and the Dayton players, all able to create shots for themselves, did just that.

GW, not wanting to play into Dayton’s style of play, was forced to try and slow down the pace of the game.  But just as the Flyers were active on offense, so too, were they on defense.

“I think you need to be able to attack them off the dribble,” Tsipis said.  “I think you need to be able to get in the paint and then make good decisions, and I think we did get it in the paint, we got some post feeds, and everything.”

The second a Colonials’ guard crossed mid-court, Dayton defenders came up to hound them and set a trap.  GW was flustered, and despite working extremely hard to do so, was unable to consistently work the ball inside.

The Colonials were forced into overhead skip passes and outside jumpers that for the most part, weren’t falling.  Even more frequent- a Flyer steal.  Dayton ended the day with 12 steals, to go along with its 11 blocks and 23 total turnovers forced.

“I think it sped us up,” Tsipis said.  “I think it wasn’t necessarily the person getting trapped, I think when we got the ball out of the trap, they did a really good job on their rotation forcing us to play faster than we wanted to.”

It just wasn’t in the books for the Colonials today.

Even in the second half, when one might expect the Flyers’ offense to run out of steam, they kept churning.  Dayton was able to showcase its deep roster, cycling in younger, fresher players and get the same result on the court.  On the day, the Flyers recorded 29 bench points, led by guard Kelley Austria, who put up 13 points from off the bench.

In her final game as a Colonial, Booker led the team with 12 points and eight rebounds.  Senior forward Shi-Heria Shipp again proved a physical presence on the floor, scoring 11 points and adding seven boards.

Despite the quarterfinal loss, the 14 overall wins put together by Tsipis’ first year team are the most for GW since 2009.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Tsipis said.  “I think it’s a team that has bought into what we want to do.  And I think we have a good work ethic and I think they have a really strong will to get better as individuals and then understand that to be able to get better as a team you have to take sacrifices”

 

 

 

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Friday, March 8, 2013 3:50 p.m.

Colonials, Tsipis grab first round A-10 tournament win

by Nick Ong

Senior guard Danni Jackson maneuvers down the court against St. Bonaventure. Hatchet File Photo by Jordan Emont | Photo Editor

Just stay calm.

With adrenaline and energy high in the first round of the A-10 championship- just stay calm.  When an early 15-2 lead slowly becomes a 49-49 tie game- just stay calm.  And when the opposing defense swarms to foul you with the final seconds ticking away- just stay calm.

Not always an easy task in playoff basketball, but a task nonetheless that the Colonials were able to complete in their 59-53 win over Richmond.

The win marks the first A-10 tournament victory for first-year head coach Jonathan Tsipis, and the first A-10 tournament win for the Colonials since 2007.

“When you play a team the second time and both teams have had five days to prepare for each other, they’re gonna be able to take away a lot of your initial actions,” Tsipis said. “It’s just, can you get to that next part to really put your kids in the position to make a play.”

For the start of the first half, the story wasn’t who would make the next shot for the Spiders, but when the Spiders would make their next shot.

Using their motion offense effectively, Richmond was able to find a lot of open looks, but nothing could find the bottom of the net.  Shot after shot rattled off the rim and then immediately, GW went pushing it down the other end of the court.

The Spiders started the game on 1-15 shooting, compared to GW’s 54.2 percent, and would go on to shoot just 26.5 percent in the first half.

“I thought we had the game at the tempo we wanted,” Tsipis said.  “We got out in transition, we attacked off the dribble, we made the extra pass, and had some really good reads by our point guards, but I think we were just kind of in that attack mode.”

After an early 2-2 tie, GW went on a 15-0 run to give it the biggest lead of the first half, 13.  Playing as the home team because of their higher seed, the Colonials were certainly getting some home team rolls at the Hagan Arena.

With each made basket and each Richmond miss, the already unprecedented level of energy just continued to go up- especially on defense.

Using their full court press sporadically throughout the first half, the Colonials grabbed some key steals and added on to the pressure Richmond was already feeling.  GW took away the inside option from the Spiders, forcing them to pass it along the perimeter and chuck up shots from all over the court.

Slowly but surely though, shots started to fall for Richmond.  Making use of their height advantage, Richmond dominated the offensive glass, 15-7 by game’s end, to put up some much-needed second chance points. While GW struggled at the free throw line, the Spiders flourished, going 13-15 in the game and using them to slyly creep back into contention.

Richmond finished off their slow first half comeback with a second chance bucket from Becca Wann, cutting the lead to six and giving them some confidence going into halftime.

“It was a loud environment.  I thought early on we were a little more vocal with some of our actions and communications defensively,” Tsipis said.  “I think as the half wore on, you know, they made some shots and I think we got a little bit quiet with our communication.”

The second half showcased the hard-fought tournament style battle that was expected. Going back and forth on each possession, GW had to work hard to maintain its five, four, and sometimes two-point lead.

With 6 minutes and 29 seconds left to play, Richmond finally tied up the game.  And then just over thirty seconds later, with Kristina King at the free throw line, the Spiders finally overtook the Colonials- their first lead since they grabbed the first basket of the game.

GW stayed tough though, keeping their heads and body language up as they headed down the home stretch.

“We just talked a lot about [how] both teams are equally as tired,” Tsipis said. “And there’s gonna be a lot at the end of just your will, and it’s the loose ball, it’s keeping them off the glass, it’s being able to defend without fouling.”

Combining timely shooting with a stronger presence on the boards, GW took away Richmond’s second chance efforts and forced them into one-and-done possessions.  The Colonials stayed calm, and climbed their way to the 59-53 victory.

GW had three players in double figures- senior guard Danni Jackson who led the team with 13 points; senior forward Megan Nipe who followed up her last strong shooting performance with another, going 5-10 from the field to record 12 points; and finally, senior forward Shi-Heria Shipp who added 10 points to the stat sheet, but made her biggest contributions to the team on the court in the form of her enthusiasm and tough play late in the game.

For Richmond, two players, Kristina King and Becca Wann, carried the majority of the load, scoring 16 and 17 points respectively.  Wann also grabbed a team-high 12 boards to put up a double-double effort in the loss.

With the win, the Colonials will move onto the quarterfinals where they will face No.1 seeded Dayton.  The Flyers are also ranked No.11 in the country, making tomorrow’s task for the Colonials a daunting one.

“Obviously Dayton’s ranked 11th in the country for a reason- they’re very balanced,” Tsipis said. “I think the biggest thing, or our key, is gonna be how we match up in transition for the full 40 minutes.  We did it for about 16 minutes at Dayton earlier in the season and then they went on a run to close the half.  So I think the big part now is just taking care of our team.”

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Sunday, March 3, 2013 6:07 p.m.

Veterans shine in final women’s basketball regular season game

by Nick Ong

Center Sara Mostafa shoots the ball over a Saint Louis defender Sunday at the Smith Center. Becky Crowder | Senior Staff Photographer

With the first half coming to a close, and only a two second differential between shot and game clock, senior guard Danni Jackson lost the handle on the ball, quickly recovered and fired up an unorthodox desperation three.  It banked in.

With a 19-point lead, that’s just how the game was going for the Colonials. But they soon learned how quickly a double-digit lead can start to dwindle away.

Trying to avoid another second-half breakdown like Wednesday’s game against Xavier, head coach Jonathan Tsipis called for the energy and urgency that the team had opened Senior Day with.

“We had stopped even putting our hands up, we had dropped them,” Tsipis said.  “And it was time for us to take some punches.”

In the end, some strong leadership from the very seniors being honored on the final game of the regular season allowed GW to weather the storm and capture the victory, 68-55.

When the game opened, GW looked ready for the start of playoff basketball, running and executing on both ends of the court.

The Colonials were patient on offense, continually moving and sending crisp passes until a crack in Saint Louis’ defense was revealed.  On defense, they turned up the intensity.

Playing much of the first half in a full court press, GW hounded the Billikens’ ball handlers, grabbed five steals, and immediately went into transition mode, where they scored 13 points off turnovers.

“We just came out with the mindset that we were gonna really control the glass and get out in transition,” Tsipis said.

Megan Nipe was – literally – perfect in the first half, scoring 16 points off of 7-7 shooting.  Whether lurking along the perimeter or driving off a screen, Nipe couldn’t help but find the bottom of the net.

“I just think my teammates did a great job of getting me open and when I was open getting me the ball,” Nipe said.  “Obviously when you make a couple your confidence goes up, so for the first half it went up and it didn’t go down the rest of the game.”

Following Nipe’s lead, the rest of the offense was just as in sync, shooting 63 percent from the field in the first.  Though they didn’t necessarily have a size advantage inside, the Colonials were still aggressive in the paint, outrebounding the Billikens 22-13 and outscoring them 20-4 in the paint for the first half.

As the second half got underway, it appeared as though the Colonials had become a bit too comfortable with their large first-half lead.  The offense began running at a slower pace, and the guards consistently settled for long jumpers early in the possession.

“I think the things we got away from were [that] we didn’t rebound the ball well and we didn’t attack in transition or off the ball screen,” Tsipis said.  “We got too complacent to run the offense and that gave them a little more momentum.”

Making matters worse, shots began to fall for the Billikens.

Saint Louis quickly went on a 10-0 run, and the 19-point lead was now down to 10. Tsipis went back to the full court press to put an end to the storm, but GW still couldn’t get the offensive spark back, and the lead was cut to just seven.

Looking for anything to get momentum back on the Colonials’ side, fifth-year graduate forward Sara Mostafa stepped up to the challenge.  Mostafa scored on three straight GW possessions, and drew two “and-one” opportunities in the process.

GW was now back on the attack, driving the lane to get some easy buckets and preventing the Billikens from going on another run to close out the game.  Senior Day would end the way they had planned.

Nipe finished with a career-high 20 points on 9-14 shooting.  Mostafa finished her regular season career with 13 points and eight rebounds, getting help from another inside presence, senior Shi-Heria Shipp, who scored 10 points and had nine boards.  Jackson was the fourth Colonial in double-figures, scoring 17 points, with six rebounds and four assists also on her stat sheet.

Nipe, Jackson and Shipp intend to petition for a fifth year of eligibility, looking to stay with the Colonials for one more season.

The barrage of scoring shows the many options that Tsipis will have heading into the playoffs.  Nipe may have been the hot hand tonight, but high scoring games from multiple Colonials this season prove that any one of them can burst out.

GW came into the game tied for seventh in conference standings, and with the win, may keep that seeding for the A-10 Championship, though final seeding will be determined by the rest of the league’s results.

“It’s been a season of a lot of firsts, obviously my first season, an opportunity for us to get the most wins in conference in the last four years, and the most overall wins,” Tsipis said. “And now it leads to another season of firsts, that we want to go and get that first A-10 win.”

 

 

 

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Monday, Dec. 24, 2012 10:24 a.m.

Danni Jackson is the A-10 player of the week

by Elizabeth Traynor

Then- junior guard Danni Jackson fends off Greyhound defenders last season. | Hatchet File Photo

Women’s basketball senior guard Danni Jackson is the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week after an impressive performance against George Mason Saturday afternoon.

Jackson scored a season-high 21 points on .600 shooting, adding seven assists and pulling down five rebounds to lead the Colonials to their victory over the District-rival Patriots in the Smith Center. Twice, Jackson went on 6-0 solo scoring runs in the first half, and she scored the final five points of the game to cement GW’s win.

Jackson and the Colonials next head to No. 8 California Dec. 28.

 

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Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012 11:31 a.m.

Women’s basketball team releases full 2012-13 schedule

by Elizabeth Traynor

Then- junior guard Danni Jackson aims a jumper last season. Hatchet File Photo

The women’s basketball team announced its full 2012-13 schedule today, unveiling a challenging lineup that pits the Colonials against 13 teams that reached postseason play last season, two more than GW faced last year.

Six of those teams come in non conference competition, including hosting District-rival Georgetown Dec. 1, and seven are Atlantic 10 rivals.

“This is a very challenging schedule with so many teams that experienced great success last season,” first-year head coach Jonathan Tsipis said in a release. ”These difficult non-conference games, with marquee matchups against teams from the Big East, Pac-12, ACC and SEC, will prepare us for the rigors of the Atlantic 10 schedule, and I know our fans will be excited to see our team play such quality opponents.”

GW will begin its season with an exhibition match against Wingate Nov. 4 and begin official competition when they host UT Arlington Nov. 9.

The full schedule can be seen here.

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Friday, Aug. 24, 2012 2:33 p.m.

Kye Allums calls GW ‘so supportive’ in new video, contradicting past interviews

by Elizabeth Traynor

Kye Allums, the first transgender player in NCAA Division I history, appeared in a new Fearless Project video touting the support he received from the University and his team after his decision to come out in November 2010 – a message that rebuts what he told Sports Illustrated earlier this year.

The video sheds new light on the intricacies of Allums’ story and his relationship with his coaches and teammates following his decision to come out at the beginning of the 2010-11 season.

In May, Allums told Sports Illustrated the scene in the Colonials locker room was one of “turmoil” and said he felt a lack of support from then-head coach Mike Bozeman. But in the Fearless Project video, Allums said the coaches and administration “immediately supported” him, and that teammates, coaches and administrators were “so positive.”

The Fearless Project features high school and collegiate athletes who openly self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and continue to compete on their school’s sports teams.

“Not everybody used male pronouns, but nobody used female pronouns because they knew that it hurt me and made me feel uncomfortable. And they wanted me to be happy,” Allums said in the video. “They cared about my feelings. And they wanted me to be in an environment where I could perform well.”

While the Fearless Project video focuses on the support Allums said he initially received upon coming out, the Sports Illustrated article described an atmosphere that was less supportive following increased media attention. Allums told the magazine that his relationship with his teammates went “from them all having my back to no one having my back.”

“He also felt abandoned by coach Mike Bozeman,” the article reported.”[Bozeman] was like, Now you’re affecting us,” Allums says. “He pointed to the freshmen and he’s like, ‘Did you guys come here to have to deal with this?’”

The latest twist in Allums’ story, in which his mother alleged the University was keeping the media from her son, comes immediately after GW announced a new partnership with the You Can Play video campaign. The University’s video, which features 18 student-athletes, supports inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender athletes in the University’s 23 varsity sports and its other athletics and recreation programs.

Allums, too, is heavily involved in LGBT advocacy. In the Fearless Project video, he reveals that he is working on creating Project IMEnough, which will focus on creating a support system for other trans athletes. And in the fall, Allums said he intends to travel to other universities to share his story and educate students on trans issues.

Fearless Project: Kye Allums, Basketball, George Washington University, IMEnough: an organization for transgender athletes from Jeff Sheng on Vimeo.

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Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012 10:13 a.m.

Women’s basketball team gets second verbal for 2013

by Elizabeth Traynor

Correction appended

Shannon Cranshaw is the latest 2013 recruit to verbally commit to the Colonials, with Brett McCormick of the All-Star Girls Report indicating that the guard intends to play for GW.

“Shannon Cranshaw 5-9 G 2013 from Father Lopez HS FL has given her verbal to George Washington,” McCormick tweeted.

Cranshaw confirmed the news on her own Twitter account, retweeting many messages of congratulations on her decision to play for the Colonials. She’s the second 2013 recruit for GW, following Caira Washington, a 6-foot-3 center from Georgetown Day School.

Cranshaw was a key figure in Father Lopez’s playoff run last season, including an effort against a rival high school where she added 22 points. A video of her junior year highlights can be seen below.

This article was updated August 23, 2012 to reflect the following:

An earlier version misspelled Shannon Cranshaw’s last name. The post has been updated with the correct spelling.

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Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012 10:25 p.m.

Atlantic 10 women’s basketball championship travels to Barclays Center

by Elizabeth Traynor

Then- junior guard Danni Jackson aims a jumper last season. Hatchet File Photo

Like the men’s basketball championship before it, the 2013 Atlantic 10 women’s basketball championship game will take place in Brooklyn’s new Barclays Center.

The first three rounds of the women’s basketball tournament will take place at Saint Joseph’s Hagan Arena in Philadelphia, as in previous years. But the championship game will head to Brooklyn, slated for 7 p.m. March 16. It’s a move that seems designed to pull the women’s basketball competition into the spotlight of the men’s basketball postseason tournament, which will run March 14-17.

“We have made a commitment to further strengthen the Atlantic 10 as one of the premier women’s basketball conferences in Division I,” A-10 commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said in a release. “Without a doubt, relocating our championship game to Barclays Center is a key move in that commitment. It gives our top teams exceptional exposure on one of the biggest stages in the world. We are excited about showcasing A-10 women’s basketball in Brooklyn in March.”

The Colonials traveled to the first round of the tournament last season, before falling to Duquesne.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2012 3:31 p.m.

Erica Chandler transfers to Pepperdine

by Elizabeth Traynor

Then-freshman Erica Chandler watches the action from the bench in GW's game against Temple last season. | Hatchet File Photo

Former women’s basketball player Erica Chandler will play for Pepperdine University, following her dismissal from the Colonials last season.

Though Chandler has yet to be added to the team’s official roster, which hasn’t been updated online since last season, Pepperdine athletics communications spokeswoman Rachel Carson confirmed her transfer. Carson declined to comment on Chandler’s eligibility.

Under NCAA rules, a student-athlete who transfers between institutions must sit out for a season before taking the court with a new team. For Chandler, who didn’t compete with the Colonials last season and was dismissed halfway through the year, that would mean two years in a row without competition. The NCAA did not immediately return a request for comment on Chandler’s eligibility and whether she is petitioning to be allowed to take the court for Pepperdine immediately.

Chandler never took the court with the Colonials last season, after being suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. She played 47 minutes in nine games her freshman season, averaging 0.9 points and 0.9 rebounds. At the time of her official dismissal from the program, athletics communications declined to provide any further information on the grounds or circumstances surrounding Chandler’s departure.

A Chandler family representative later contacted The Hatchet to stress that her departure from the program was due to “time management issues,” not a larger disciplinary problem. The representative, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she was not an official spokesperson, added that Chandler planned on returning to a basketball program.

“She does intend on being back on the court in the near future, playing the game she loves,” the representative said in February. “Wherever her future takes her. Right now, she’s open and she will be working in the off-season with a professional trainer. She is open at this point as to whether she’s going to remain at GW or move on and play for a different university. That is still to be decided as of yet.”

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