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Saturday, May 18, 2013 3:28 p.m.

Baseball secures fifth seed in A-10 tournament with La Salle sweep

by Nick Ong

Senior Justin Albright throws a pitch on Saturday against La Salle. Albright earned the win in the game and helped grab the sweep for the Colonials. Delaney Walsh | Hatchet Photo Editor

Less than three weeks ago, the Colonials stood with a 7-8 conference record, a distant ninth place in the Atlantic-10 standings and an unlikely playoff contender.

From many perspectives, it was the story of typical struggles under a first-year head coach, and of a rebuilding program still trying to find its legs.

Dayton, VCU, and La Salle – three conference foes – were all that remained on the schedule. Just finish out the season strong, bring in the new recruits, and start fresh next year.

But that’s not how the 2013 Colonials wanted to be remembered.

Instead, over the last 18 days, they’ve fought for a Dayton sweep, a VCU series win, and with Saturday’s 4-1 victory in their final regular season game, a sweep of La Salle.

The Colonials now sit with a 15-9 conference record, a remarkable four-place jump into the five spot of the playoff standings. They will face fourth-seeded Xavier in Charlotte, N.C. Wednesday.

“We knew we had to win a majority of the latter half of our season and conference games to have a shot to move forward,” senior Tyler McCarthy said. “We were able to lock it up yesterday and improve our seeding today, so we’re really excited about it.”

The Colonials have gone 8-1 over that stretch, led by McCarthy, senior Justin Albright and junior Owen Beightol, giving GW the chance to add on to their second-most A-10 titles in league history.

“I think we’ve come a lot closer as a team overall and when we won some conference games, I think they started to believe that, ‘Hey, we got a shot at this if we play well,’” associate head coach Tom Sheridan said. ”And over the last month, we’ve played good baseball. Even some of the games we lost we’ve been competitive on a daily basis.”

In Saturday’s season finale, senior day, head coach Gregg Ritchie turned to Albright to take the mound.

Coming in with only five pitching appearances on the year and a pedestrian 6.41 ERA, Albright surprised everyone but his team, maneuvering through a few thick jams to earn the win for himself and his fellow seniors.

“The most important thing for me at least, is that he’s [Albright’s] such a competitor and whatever he has to give that day is what you can always count on from him,” Sheridan said. “He did a great job, anytime he’s pitched for us this year he’s battled, and he continued to do that.”

Albright battled through one such jam in the bottom of the second, after letting the first two batters reach base on a walk and hit-by-pitch. A sacrifice bunt left runners on second and third with one out, and the Explorers threatening to end the senior’s outing early.

Albright responded by inducing a ground out back to the mound and getting the final batter of the inning to strike out looking. No runs and no hits for the inning.

“I just had to focus up a little bit harder and bear down and make good pitches so that they would get themselves out in a situation like that,” Albright said.

The Colonials backed up Albright’s resilient pitching performance with some run support of their own in the next inning.

After a double by senior Matthew Murakami to lead off the third, Matthieu Robèrt’s single to left field allowed Murakami to come around a score. With the bases loaded later in the inning, junior Owen Beightol hit a sac fly to right field that allowed senior Ryan Hickey to score, giving GW a 2-0 lead.

Albright got himself into another jam in the fourth, after two singles and a walk left the bases loaded with only one out. He struck out the next batter, appearing on his way to again ending the inning unscathed, but a single through the left side allowed one La Salle runner to score.

The damage luckily ended there thanks to a pinpoint throw from Beightol in left field and a controversial play at the plate that called out the second runner.

From there, the Colonials cruised on forward to the sweep, as Albright seemed to get stronger as the game went on, going three-up-three down in the fifth and sixth innings.

He finished the day with the win and a line of seven innings pitched, four hits allowed, one earned run, two walks and three strikeouts.

Thankful for his teammates over these past four years, he said he was proud of the way the team scrapped and executed their way to victory and to the playoffs.

“We’re not a power team, we’re not gonna drive home runs out of the park, but we’re gonna play small ball, score runs every inning, try to chip away, and good pitching has been our success all year,” Albright said.

Sticking to that strategy, the Colonials added some insurance runs for Albright, scoring one run in the bottom of the fourth off a single from Robèrt, giving him a total of two RBIs in the game.

Then in the eighth, after a double, single and walk loaded the bases, a sac-fly from Murakami allowed McCarthy to tag-up and score from third.

The game was left to the lately unhittable bullpen duo of senior Kenny O’Brien and junior Craig Lejeune, who together pitched a scoreless final two innings to get Lejeune his 10th save of the year.

Albright found his usual success on the offensive side of the plate, garnering one hit and three stolen bases, good enough for 28 steals on the year and a tie for second in the A-10.

Ritchie declined to comment on today’s sweep of the Explorers. He has not spoken to The Hatchet in over a month, after he said his team played “uninspired, ‘no care’ baseball” following an April loss. Ritchie was hired last offseason after working as the hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates

The Colonials will now move on to the A-10 tournament, held at Charlotte’s Hayes Stadium from May 22 to 25. The format is a bracket-style, double-elimination tournament, with GW expected to start junior Luke Staub in their first round game against fourth-seeded Xavier at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

GW has not squared off against the Musketeers this season, but the Colonials have momentum on their side as they enter the tournament.

“We’re happy we made the tournament, but we don’t want to be done there. We don’t want to just show up, lose two games and go home. We’d like to make an impact,” McCarthy said. “The moves we’ve made in the last couple of weeks have shown that we can pretty much stick with anyone. So we want to turn some heads and stick it to everyone.”

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Thursday, May 16, 2013 6:39 p.m.

Baseball take crucial game one in final A-10 series

by The GW Hatchet

Left-hander Kenny O’Brien pitches in a game last weekend against VCU. The Colonials kept their playoff hopes alive Thursday with a win against La Salle. Cameron Lancaster | Contributing Photo Editor

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Brennan Murray.

One swing of the bat and the Colonials were down 3-0. It was only the top of the first.

In a series that GW (23-30, 13-9 A-10) likely needs to win to keep its season alive, the three-run La Salle homer was a disheartening blow to start things off for the club in the series opener.

From there on though, the Colonials’ resilience became the story. In the bottom half of the first, GW upped the ante by plating four runs of its own, shredding the Explorers’ early momentum on the way.

The home team then added six more over the next six innings, making for nine unanswered runs – an impressive feat en route to a 10-4 comeback victory.

After allowing the three earned runs in the first, junior Luke Staub settled down and let his offense climb back in the game. He held La Salle to just one run over the next seven innings, finishing his eight-inning effort with a total of five strikeouts.

Three GW batters turned in multiple-hit performances to aid the comeback and put the game out of reach of the Explorers. The first was senior shortstop Matthew Murakami, who went 3-4 in the game with four RBI. His double off the wall in the bottom of the first drove in a pair and gave the Colonials a pivotal 4-3 lead.

Freshman catcher Mathieu Robért and junior Owen Beightol added two hits apiece as well, together contributing two more RBI.

After La Salle scored a run in the fifth, Staub and junior Craig LeJeune kept the Explorers’ bats silent through the end. LeJeune pitched a scoreless ninth to make the final score official.

With only two days remaining on the conference schedule and three teams jockeying to make the seventh-place cutoff, the Colonials need a favorable outcome to survive the weekend.

Here are the scenarios for GW to make its first postseason appearance since 2005:

If the Colonials sweep the Explorers, they will guarantee themselves a trip to the Tar Heel State with the seventh spot in the standings.

If they win only one more, eighth-placed Butler and Saint Joseph’s, who currently own 12-10 conference records, would have a chance to force a tiebreaker if either is able to win its respective series.

Lastly, if GW goes cold and drops its final two contests, a series win for either the Bulldogs or the Hawks would end the Colonials’ tournament bid.

Game two of the series versus La Salle is slated for 1:00 p.m. on Friday.

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Wednesday, March 6, 2013 11:00 p.m.

Colonials hurt chances at A-10 tournament bid with loss at La Salle

by Nick Ong

Senior guard Lasan Kromah looks for an opening against Richmond. Hatchet File Photo by Jordan Emont | Photo Editor

There was no second-half comeback this time.

Earlier this season, down 20 points against La Salle, the Colonials embarked on a 19-4 run that cut the lead to five and gave the Smith Center crowd a reason to hang around.

On Wednesday night – in the final road game of the season – GW wasn’t so persistent. The game finished just as the last against the Explorers ultimately did, with another mark in the Colonials’ loss column. This 84-70 defeat has a heightened impact for the Colonials, with only one conference game remaining and the team’s A-10 championship status still hanging in the balance.

GW must beat Dayton Saturday to make it to Brooklyn.

“It’s just hard to come back,” head coach Mike Lonergan said, “when you’re not making open shots and you’re missing free throws.”

Up 10-9 early in the first half, it appeared GW might be able to hang with the third-ranked-team in the A-10. That wasn’t the case, though.

La Salle turned up the heat, storming ahead on a 19-4 run and leaving the Colonials wondering if they would to make it to playoff basketball. Igniting and bolstering La Salle’s run was the nights’ one man wrecking crew: Explorers’ senior guard Ramon Galloway.

“You try not to let the best player beat you, but he definitely hurt us tonight and had a great game,” Lonergan said.

Galloway finished with a game-high 29 points on 11-17 shooting, putting GW’s defense in fits the entire night.

But for the Colonials, he was just the beginning of their problems, with the inability to find an effective defense proving to be most fatal.

“We played a man-to-man defense to start and we just didn’t guard the three point line well,” Lonergan said. “They were going by us and kicking it for threes and we weren’t doing a good job guarding the threes, so we called a timeout and got out of that.”

Nothing was getting the job done. When GW went to man, La Salle’s guards had no trouble blowing past them to the basket. The easy points led to 61 percent shooting for the Explorers on the game.

When the Colonials switched to a 1-3-1 zone, the Explorers showcased their spot-up shooting. Despite coming in with the game plan of limiting La Salle’s long-range attempts, GW just simply left too much space for the lethal shooters.

At the end of the half, the Explorers had made 10 three pointers – compared to only one for GW – and would go on to record 12 treys for the game. Trying to get a head start on a much-needed comeback, GW began to claw away at La Salle’s lead over the end of the first. A jumper here and a lay-up there gave the team some momentum, but a Galloway drive or outside three constantly put another speed bump in its run.

With one final possession left in the first, the lead was down to eight, but a déjà vu floater by La Salle guard Tyreek Dyren put the margin back up to double digits.

“They were playing for the last shot and their guy fumbled the ball and I thought one of our guys could’ve dove for the ball,” Lonergan said. “But they just stood there and he picked it up and hit a shot at the buzzer. So it was a big momentum killer.”

In the second half, GW just couldn’t get the lead below double digits, accomplishing nothing more than trading baskets with the Explorers. The team certainly had its chances, able to get the ball inside, but blown lay-ups and turnovers led to the eventual 84-70 loss.

One bright spot in the game was GW’s performance on the glass, outrebounding La Salle 28-17, but that was expected with the small four-guard line-up that the Explorers like to suit up. And the Colonials again struggled at the free throw line, going 5-10 in the game and failing to get to the free throw line in the first half.

Senior forward Isaiah Armwood used his height advantage inside to lead the team with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Also scoring in double-digits was freshman guard Kethan Savage, who used a strong first half to put up 12 points, and senior guard Lasan Kromah, who made the lone three-pointer for GW and finished with 15 points.

This loss certainly increases the difficulty of the Colonials making it to the A-10 tournament, but their fate is still in their hands.

“We gotta win Saturday.  It’s like a one game season,” Lonergan said. “I guess Duquesne was winning, but then lost in overtime, so we didn’t get any help there, so basically we’ve gotta beat Dayton.”

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Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013 3:33 p.m.

Women’s basketball team rebounds with victory over La Salle

by Elizabeth Traynor

Senior guard Danni Jackson charges down the court against Duquesne. Hatchet File Photo by Cameron Lancaster | Hatchet Photographer

It was a three point game when graduate student forward Tara Booker released her three-point shot.

It sunk into the basket, putting the Colonials up by six. 20 seconds later, she drilled another. GW was now up by nine, a crucial widening of its lead in a game that had been a tight contest throughout.

Booker’s two treys sparked a massive scoring run for the rest of her team, providing momentum for GW to decisively close out a 74-57 victory over La Salle. They were two important baskets, and they were examples of exactly the type of role head coach Jonathan Tsipis expects from his upperclassmen.

“We did a good job finding her in the first one and we were able to come right back,” Tsipis said. “It gave us life. It allowed us to be more aggressive in transition.”

From the outset, it was clear that the game could be a defensive battle, neither team able to control the ball well out of the gates. GW had 17 turnovers over play, while La Salle had 15. The game stayed tight through most of the first half. The Explorers switched between different zones to try to confuse the Colonials and halt their shooting.

Still GW was able to take a small four point lead heading into halftime. The advantage came off the strength of 41.7 percent shooting, and the team finding a mis-match down low with senior forward Shi-Heria Shipp, who was able to put away a number of baskets for the Colonials.

“She got us going. She got us that lead toward the end of the half,” Tsipis said. “It was just a matter of closing possessions with our rebounding.”

Though play was tight to open the second half, off the strength of Booker’s back-to-back treys GW widened its lead with a significant scoring run, finally firing on all offensive cylinders. The Colonials shot 51.4 percent over the second half, including 80 percent from behind the arc.

The team had a balanced scoring attack, with five players in double digits. Booker led the way with 13 points and seven boards, while graduate student forward Sara Mostafa posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards. Shipp finished with 12 points, while senior guard Danni Jackson and sophomore guard Chackecia Miller had 11 each

“I think that makes us much more dangerous,” Tsipis said. “It’s hard to game plan against multiple scorers.”

Defensively, GW tried to control La Salle’s ability to get out in transition, setting traps in transition that slowed the Explorers’ ball movement.

The Colonials opened the game in a man-to-man defense, but seemed to struggle with some of their matchups, leaving La Salle shooters open. Switching into a 2-3 zone, the team seemed more comfortable, challenging their opponents with greater ease. With leading Explorer scorer Brittney Wilson sidelined, La Salle turned to Ebony Jones. But Jones found herself in foul trouble, limiting her play.

“We had talked about playing a bit more zone just because, overall, they were a team that relied more on jumpers. In that aspect we felt like the zone would help us keep the ball in front better,” Tsipis said. “I just thought our activity level in the zone was really good.”

The Colonials didn’t relent on their pressure throughout the game, holding the Explorers to 32.8 percent shooting. Earning a slim 41-37 rebounding edge, GW tightly controlled the paint, picking up a 40-22 scoring edge. The Colonial bench also far outperformed La Salle’s, scoring 18 points while the Explorers had zero contributions aside from its starting five.

The victory was an important one for a GW squad that suffered a crushing double overtime loss against Duquesne. Defeating La Salle was a win that revitalized the Colonials’ energy, giving them more momentum as they head into the last month of Atlantic 10 play.

“It’s huge. You’re definitely worried about that ‘we should have won the game [feeling].’ It was just fun because we came out, we didn’t play great but I didn’t feel like we put our heads down,” Tsipis said. “And you hope, when you go through a close game like that, sometimes the best thing to do is get back out. I wanted to get back out and play Thursday.”

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Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013 6:15 p.m.

Colonial comeback bid falls short

by Nick Ong

Freshman forward Kevin Larsen reaches for the ball during Saturday’s game. Jordan Emont | Photo Editor

With three minutes and 51 seconds left to play, senior forward Isaiah Armwood rose up at the top of the key and drained his first three pointer of the season.  No less than 45 seconds later, from the same spot at the top of the key, he drained his second.  It was a now a five point game.

Unfortunately for the rest of the Colonials squad, that was as close as they would get.  A 4-0 La Salle run immediately following the baskets extended the lead back to nine, silencing the hard-fought comeback. It was a comeback that saw the Colonials go on an 18-3 run after being down by 20 points, but ultimately fall short, dropping 80-71.

“We got it down to five with at least two and a half minutes left,” head coach Mike Lonergan said.  “I think we just got a little too excited there and didn’t play solid defense.”

Besides the late surge in the second half, the rest of the game showed little signs of success for GW (10-10, 4-3 A-10). The Colonials looked lost on both ends of the floor during much of the first half, and the Explorers made them pay.

Coming in as one of the best three point shooting teams in the conference, ranking sixth in the A-10, La Salle easily lived up to its reputation. Neither the Colonials’ man nor zone defenses could freeze their hot hands, as the Explorers went on to shoot 50 percent from behind the arc in the first.

“They spread us out and then when we switched defenses they hit some really big threes when they needed them,” Lonergan said.

Possession after possession, the Explorers found an open D.J. Peterson or Tyreek Duren in the corner, and possession after possession, they nailed wide-open threes.  Peterson, who led all scorers at the half with 12 points, shot 4-5 from three in the first, already eclipsing his career high for three pointers in a game. At one point in the first half, with six minutes and 51 seconds left to play, La Salle had more three-point field goals, 7-13, than the Colonials did overall, 6-13.

Sophomore forward John Kopriva tries unsuccessfully to score despite his La Salle defender. Jordan Emont | Photo Editor

Further constraining GW’s inability to get out on shooters was the shake-up in La Salle’s starting line-up. Opting not to go with his usual four-guard lineup, head coach Dr. John Giannini started center Steve Zack.  Likely in to disrupt the Colonial’s duo of Armwood and Larsen, Zack was most effective at the top of the key, moving in and out of screens for the Explorer guards- disrupting the coverage of the Colonial defenders.

On offense, the Colonials were just as confused, throwing passes out of bounds and committing 10 turnovers that led to 16 points for La Salle in the first half. In comparison, GW had zero points off of turnovers by the break.

“I give them credit.  Their switching defense hurt us,” Lonergan said. “We got the ball inside and they did a good job digging in and we turned it over a lot. Just looking at the stat sheet, that really hurt us.”

At the start of the second half, it looked to be more of the same for the Colonials, as they continued to look outmatched against a quicker and more experienced team.  But then the comeback began.

GW stepped up its intensity, matching the Explorer speed on defense and getting out in transition. The Colonials stepped into a full court press on defense, repaying the Explorers for the high number of turnovers they had forced, and clawing their way back into the game. With the guards still unable to create anything off the dribble though, GW was forced to change gears.

“I just said we had to play more aggressive because they were switching everything,” Lonergan said.  “And they’re all guards so we really don’t have that guy that can beat a guy off the dribble against a player like they had, so we just had to rely on being aggressive in transition.”

Even more aggressive was Lonergan’s decision to draw up some outside plays for his big men- specifically Armwood.  Looking to create mismatches at the top of the key and hopefully drive to the basket, it was certainly unexpected for Armwood to rainbow in two treys.

“If I get it and I’m open I’m gonna shoot it,” Armwood said.  ”But coach Lonergan designed the play for me to step back and knock it down, so I just shot it.”

But the surprise buckets couldn’t make up for GW’s sloppy first half, as La Salle stayed poised with time running out.  Down the stretch, the Explorers hit their last six free throws, going 17-19 on the game, highlighted by perfect 10-10 shooting from the line by guard Ramon Galloway.

Armwood led the way for GW with 17 points and nine rebounds, while senior forward Dwayne Smith and freshman guard Patricio Garino both added 11 points.  Overall, the Colonials controlled the paint, garnering a 38-22 advantage, but the 24-6 points off of turnover margin ultimately set the two teams apart.

The loss especially hurt for the Colonials as their recent three game winning streak and potent starting lineup was speculated to have produced a revitalized GW roster.

“It was kind of like we reverted back to our old ways,” Lonergan said.

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Wednesday, June 6, 2012 10:48 a.m.

Women’s basketball 2012-13 schedule released

by Elizabeth Traynor

Jonathan Tsipis at his introductory press conference. Hatchet File Photo.

The schedule for the 2012-13 A-10 women’s basketball season features a 14-game lineup in a field of 16 programs, meaning the Colonials will not face Temple in its final year in the league.

Unlike the men’s basketball schedule, which will switch to a 16-game format next season, each women’s program will skip playing one league opponent. GW will also not renew the annual home-and-home series with Richmond.

The Colonials will host four postseason teams next year, including defending regular-season champion St. Bonaventure and WNIT qualifiers Duquesne, Richmond and Saint Joseph’s. Rounding out the programs that will make a trip to the Smith Center are Rhode Island, Saint Louis and Butler.

“The entire Atlantic 10 slate will be challenging to say the least,” head women’s basketball coach Jonathan Tsipis said in a release. “While I’m sorry as a first-time head coach that we won’t get to face Temple before they leave for the Big East, I’m excited that our fans will be able to see St. Bonaventure, who went undefeated in the league last year, as well as welcome Butler and head coach Beth Couture to the Smith Center for the first time in the A-10. It’s an exciting time for GW women’s basketball, and we look forward to working hard to get ready for the season.”

The Colonials will travel to Charlotte, Dayton, Fordham, La Salle, Massachusetts, VCU and Xavier next season.

Dates and times for each game will be announced at a later date.

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Tuesday, June 5, 2012 1:57 p.m.

Atlantic 10 announces 2012-13 men’s basketball conference match-ups

by Elizabeth Traynor

GW's bench watches as the final seconds tick out on its loss in the first round of the 2012 A-10 tournament. Hatchet File Photo

Updated June 5, 3:18 p.m

The Atlantic 10 announced the league match-ups for the upcoming season today, releasing the field of 16 games for each program that will feature a GW–La Salle home-and-away partnership.

The Colonials will face each other conference opponent once. GW will host Butler, Charlotte, Dayton, Fordham, St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis and Temple, and will travel to Duquesne, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, Saint Joseph’s, VCU and Xavier.

“The Atlantic 10 race is going to be a battle no matter how teams are paired, so we’re just thrilled to be participating in arguably one of the top 5 conferences in all of college basketball,” head coach Mike Lonergan said in a release. “I look forward to seeing Butler come for the first time, our rivals Temple and Charlotte come for final conference games, and postseason teams St. Bonaventure, Dayton, La Salle and Saint Louis visit the Smith Center this coming season.”

In addition to the GW-La Salle two-game matchup, the other programs in the league paired off in their respective schedules. The teams that will face each other twice are as follows: Butler and Saint Louis, Charlotte and Temple, Dayton and Xavier, Duquesne and St. Bonaventure, Fordham and Saint Joseph’s, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and Richmond and VCU.

“The whole conference schedule will provide some exciting challenges to our players and some attractive games for our fans,” Lonergan said. “We are looking forward to working hard this summer to improve our team and prepare for what should be a historic season in the A-10.”

Dates and times of the games will be announced at a later date.

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Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 11:19 p.m.

Colonials just shy of comeback victory on Senior Night

by Elizabeth Traynor

Junior forward David Pellom struggles to get to the basket during Wednesday's game against La Salle in the Smith Center. Michelle Rattinger | Senior Photo Editor

The ending of Tony Taylor’s Senior Night was shaping up to be the stuff of sports legends. Over the final two minutes of play, the senior guard dished out two assists that set up junior guard Lasan Kromah and junior forward David Pellom for back-to-back baskets. Then, he hit a jumper of his own that brought GW within a point of La Salle with 21 seconds left.

The Explorers hit a foul shot, pushing their lead back out to two. Again, the ball went to Taylor, the guard driving down the court to tie the game–but this time, his jumper didn’t fall. The next GW possession saw freshman forward John Kopriva trying to send a long pass down the stretch to Taylor, looking to get velocity on the pass that would set the senior up for another bucket.

Instead, the ball volleyed out of bounds, turning it back over to La Salle and cementing GW’s (10-19) 60-56 loss. And true to the humble, team-first mentality Taylor’s displayed throughout his tenure as a Colonial, the 21st-highest scorer in program history left the court after his last home game shouldering responsibility for the defeat.

“I was just upset that I missed that last shot to tie the game. Just upset for the rest of the seniors that we didn’t win this game, and the rest of the team. It’s tough to lose on senior night, or any night, at that,” Taylor said.

Emotion was running high out of the pregame Senior Night activities, the entire roster on its feet to honor Taylor, senior guard Aaron Ware, graduate student forward Jabari Edwards and walk-on senior guard Michael Conward (except for freshman forward Jonathan Davis, who didn’t dress due to illness). But the momentum soon shifted in La Salle’s favor, as the early moments of the half soon turned into a shooting contest. The Explorers holding GW at bay until they held a 10-point lead with seven minutes and 46 seconds left in the half- but by the half, the Colonials had pulled within five.

The same scenario unfolded as play opened in the second. The teams traded baskets, but La Salle was able to sink more, again leading by 10 at three different points on the half. Still, in their last home game of the year, the Colonials weren’t about to be counted out, scoring six points over 30 seconds to pull within one.

“I thought the effort was there. We started the game being outrebounded 11-4 and then we finished the game outrebounding them,” Lonergan said. “We just have so many breakdowns and it breaks your back. But we kept our composure, and I thought we made some good plays. We definitely struggled shooting the ball again, from threes.”

The same scenario unfolded as play opened in the second. The teams traded baskets, but La Salle was able to sink more, again leading by 10 at three different points on the half. Still, in their last home game of the year, the Colonials weren’t about to be counted out, scoring six points over 30 seconds to pull within one.

But somehow, the rally fell flat, like it has so many times before this season. GW exited the court shooting 50 percent even on the game. It outrebounded the Explorers 33-24, exploiting its significant advantage in the post, and held a 12-5 advantage on second-chance points. It was a performance that should have resulted in more than the Colonials’ 56 points on the night, and the culprit was a familiar one.

“The ball wasn’t going in the basket, and it’s tough when that doesn’t happen. We made a couple of drives, and things, there was just a lid on the basket. And it was tough for us,” Taylor said.

Pellom lead the team in scoring, picking up his fourth consecutive double-double, an unprecedented feat, with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Pellom attributed his success to staying strong on the boards, calling that his “first objective” on the court.. The rest of his teammates didn’t fare so well: Ware and Kromah each added 10 points, the only other two Colonials to hit double-digits.

Aside from a team-wide shooting slump, La Salle’s shifting defense reduced GW’s effectiveness at the net. Its double-teams trapped the Colonials effectively, holding them without good looks as the shot clock ran out. Many times, a Colonial was forced to lob the ball toward the net in desperation as the buzzer sounded on the play. GW also struggled to hang onto the ball, turning it over 17 times.

“We wanted to focus on playing a little harder. At La Salle, it was probably one of our worst efforts of the season,” Lonergan said. “Tonight, we did a great job taking the threes away and guarding the three-point line. We held them to 60, but we have to find a way to score. “

Head coach Mike Lonergan walks off the court after the close game. The Colonials lost to La Salle 60-56. Francis Rivera | Assistant Photo Editor

The last time GW faced La Salle, the Explorers’ four-guard offense proved problematic to defend, and Galloway torched the Colonials for a career-high 28 points. Wednesday night, GW set up in a 1-3-1 zone, trying to apply pressure on the outside arc and high post against the A-10’s leading long-range shooting team. But though the Colonials held Galloway to nine points on the night, they couldn’t totally stifle La Salle’s offense.

The Explorers have started the same lineup in all of their Atlantic 10 games, and all of their starters average in the double figures. Wednesday, La Salle’s bench scored just a single point, their starting lineup responsible for the other 59. The four-guard setup remains a thorn in GW’s side, its head coach said.

“Truthfully, it’s a tough matchup for us,” Lonergan said. “They’re not used to guarding guards, and they’re playing four guards at all times.”

Even as the Colonials walked away from the loss, they had cemented a longer season: by virtue of a Fordham loss at Rhode Island Wednesday night, GW earned a berth in the A-10 tournament. With final seeding to be determined as the regular season closes Saturday, Lonergan still believes his team has the potential to turn its season around during postseason play.

“Tonight, we have a tough loss and then we find out that we made it. It’s kind of a strange way to get in, and I’m happy we’re in,” Lonergan said. “The guys are working hard in practice, we’re improving in some areas, we just have to find a way to get more than 56 points up there on the board.”

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Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 11:41 p.m.

Shooting struggles doom women’s basketball team against La Salle

by The GW Hatchet

Junior guard Danni Jackson makes a jump shot from the top of the key in the final seconds of the first half. Zachary Krahmer | Hatchet Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet Reporter Brennan Murray.

Though the variety of statistical categories in basketball can be invaluable for the assessment of a team’s performance, sometimes winning or losing comes down to one thing: hitting or missing shots.

After coming off of three consecutive losses, the most recent one at the hands of Massachusetts on Sunday, the Colonials (11-16) returned to the Smith Center Wednesday night looking to take down conference rival La Salle. Though a victory against the Explorers would have given GW a sure berth in the A-10 tournament, the Colonials failed to capitalize on the opportunity, ultimately losing the match 69-47.

“It’s tough to win games when you’re shooting in the thirties, the low thirties,” head coach Mike Bozeman said. “It’s funny because we’ve really tried to address that in practice by working on shooting. We take hundreds and hundreds of shots.”

A fiery 8-0 run started things off for the Colonials, providing them with an early blast of momentum. Four Colonial steals in the first four minutes not only served as a positive omen for GW’s defense, but also led directly to four field goals. It was exactly the type of transition play Bozeman believes his team needs to consistently reproduce to make up for their lack of size on the low-post.

But the Colonials’ electric play early on proved unsustainable. With 15 minutes and 30 seconds to play, La Salle opened a scoring run of their own, netting 16 consecutive points while keeping GW scoreless over that stretch. Though senior guard Tiana Myers eventually stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer, the Colonials struggled to claw their way back into contention with the Explorers. Over the final eight minutes of the first half, GW was down by at least 10 points at any moment.

The Colonials’ developing tendency to start a game strong but then waiver in the latter part off the first half is something Bozeman attributed to his team’s inability to develop consistency.

“It came at the same time that we missed nine straight shots. And then I bring people off the bench and it furthers the problem,” Bozeman said. “It became a snowball effect because  I was trying to work the infusion in while we were in a drought.”

By the end of the half, La Salle had accumulated an 11-point advantage, leaving GW wondering what they needed to do to turn things around. The Colonials finished the half with a 35.7% shooting percentage, but as Bozeman noted, his team’s 28 first half field goal attempts were just three less than the Explorers’ 31 attempts.

A prominent reason for the Colonials’ deficit at halftime was their inability to maintain the offensive and defensive rhythm they came out with in the opening minutes of the game. Bozeman believes that the infusion of returning players into his lineup is causing adjustment problems that translate into a loss of cohesion on the floor. For much of the season, the Colonials have only been able to rely on six players because of multiple injuries.

“I think what we’re struggling with is getting into a flow with the addition of the other players. I’m working on getting the cohesiveness back,” Bozeman said. “I’m not saying I would rather play with six, but the flow that those six were in is vastly different than trying to add those pieces back in.”

To open the second, La Salle converted on an aggressive three-point play, foreshadowing their success throughout the rest of the game. GW struggled mightily on both sides of the ball and with five minutes to play, they found themselves in a rare and uncomfortable 20-point hole. The Colonials allowed the Explorers to shoot 40 percent from the field on the day, while only shooting 31.7 percent themselves.

“I don’t think this is a low point for us, but there is definitely a lot of frustration,” Bozeman said. “They know how much work they are putting in and I don’t think they can explain the difficulty and the chemistry that’s within the team right now.”

Despite the losing effort, Myers and senior forward/guard Tara Booker both ended the game with double-digit point totals, compiling 15 and 12 points, respectively. Booker also added seven rebounds.

The Colonials shouldn’t be counted out just yet, Myers said. Their focus is still razor-sharp.

“You can perfect skill and spend hours in the gym but it’s your passion, your heart and your mental state that’s key,” said Myers.

From Bozeman’s point of view, the key will be finding a way to make the team play as a more cohesive unit in preparation for the A-10 tournament that starts just two weeks from today.

Before that, the Colonials play their final regular season game vs. conference foe St. Joseph’s Sunday in Philadelphia, Pa., and Bozeman remains steadfast in his belief in GW’s abilities.

“It’s such a fragile thing, chemistry. It takes time but we don’t have that right now. We have to go and play a tough St. Joe’s game and prepare for the tournament,” Bozeman said. “We have to work that out and I’m confident that we can.”

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Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 10:01 p.m.

Defense stalls as men’s basketball team falls to La Salle

by Elizabeth Traynor

Junior guard Dwayne Smith struggles in the paint to get past the Explorers' defense. Francis Rivera | Assistant Photo Editor

La Salle’s four-guard offense wasn’t a setup GW had faced before.

Still, head coach Mike Lonergan and the Colonials felt prepared. They had a strong scouting report, sophomore forward Nemanja Mikic said, one they had utilized to its fullest potential in the days of practice leading up to the team’s trip to Philadelphia. On top of that, GW was riding a three-game win streak, one highlighted by the emergence of a sound, commanding defense.

The Colonials took the court against the Explorers Wednesday and jumped out to a quick 12-4 lead. But then, the team that, prior to the game, was in second place in the A-10 in both scoring defense and three-point defense, faltered.

It was a defensive skid that neither Lonergan nor Mikic could explain – one that saw the Colonials (8-12, 3-3 A-10) drop another league road contest, falling to La Salle 78-63.

“We wanted it to be fast-paced because we didn’t think they had a lot of depth. We knew their starters were very, very good,” Lonergan said. “I just thought, from the beginning, we did not have good defensive effort overall. A couple guys came to play for us, but some of our better players really did not play well defensively tonight, for whatever reason. I wish I could figure it out.”

The Explorers took to the court starting sophomore guards Tyreek Duren and Sam Mills, junior guard Ramon Galloway and senior guard Earl Pettis. It made for a lethal offensive combination, the Colonials bested by driving cuts and pick-and-rolls that stopped GW’s players in their tracks.

La Salle narrowly bested the Colonials on the boards, earning a 27-26 advantage, but it was pure shooting that cemented the victory. The game was effectively won in the first half, when the Explorers shot 72.4 percent from the floor, and went 75 percent from three-point range. Undefeated at home for the season, La Salle headed into the match leading the Atlantic 10 in three-point shooting and used it to decisively pull ahead of GW.

“I just think there’s no energy from certain players, for whatever reason. We’ve changed the lineups, done a lot of things and we were coming off three league wins in a row, so the same lineup was out there tonight, and just didn’t get the job done. And the game was basically over at halftime,” Lonergan said.

The main thorn in the Colonials’ side was Galloway, who set a new career high with 28 points on the night. His effortless three-point shots were highlighted by lightning-fast points on fast breaks, contributing to a 13-8 Explorers advantage in that category.

Stymied by La Salle’s hot hand, GW used a number of defenses, looking to pull itself out of a hole. Beginning in the Colonials’ basic man-to-man front, the team tried a 1-3-1 zone, but found itself beaten on the wing by La Salle’s quick-moving guards. The Colonials went into the full-court press, but didn’t have the energy to sustain – or even begin ­– the attack needed to shut down the Explorers. La Salle quickly spread the Colonials thin, exposing holes for open drives.

The difference maker in the defense tonight, Lonergan said, was GW’s effort. Too often, the Colonials were beaten to the ball, or didn’t get back fast enough to stop La Salle after sloppy ball handling, allowing them 22 points off 14 Colonials turnovers.

“We’re starting, basically, four guards ourselves right now, and they start four guards, but we knew we were going to have trouble at certain positions to guard them off the dribble. But we actually had trouble even with our better defenders just guarding at all,” Lonergan said. “Just no effort. No intensity, it was like a lay-up line out there. They really lit us up in the first half”

Perhaps the missing source of energy was junior David Pellom. Sidelined by a left knee injury in practices leading up to Wednesday’s match, the forward spent the game sitting on the bench clad in team garb, the first to stand and slap his teammates’ hands as they exited the court at timeouts. Pellom’s status will be re-evaluated in the days leading up to the Jan. 28 contest at Fordham, but his absence tonight sucked some of the life out of the listless Colonials, Lonergan said.

“It would have given us more energy,” Lonergan said. “I think Dave gets some of his teammates up, and I thought besides [junior guard] Bryan Bynes, we just didn’t have a lot of energy. [Graduate student forward] Jabari [Edwards] gave us a little bit of a spurt, too.”

The team posted a 46.3-shooting percentage from the floor, supplementing that with 38.5-percent shooting from downtown. GW grabbed a 14-6 edge in second-chance points, the offense paced by Mikic, who netted 13 points. Junior forward Dwanye Smith was next, adding 11 points, followed by junior guard Lasan Kromah, who posted 10 points, pulled down five boards and grabbed four steals. Bynes and Edwards added six and eight points, respectively.

Still, it was an offensive effort that wasn’t quite enough to overcome La Salle’s explosion. Senior guard Tony Taylor, the offensive catalyst in the Colonials’ two victories over the Explorers last season, often fell victim to La Salle double-teams, adding just seven points and five rebounds. As the Explorers’ lead grew, so did GW’s impatience, with the team rushing shots and taking aim off of bad looks. To be faced with a points hole as big as La Salle created, in the face of what Lonergan called a “pretty good” first half offensive effort, was maddening, Mikic said.

“In the first half, I think we were like [at one point] 66 percent from the field, which is pretty good. We should be going into the locker room all happy, but the next thing you know, they’re shooting 70-something percent from the field,” Mikic said. “It’s hard to win against a team that’s shooting such a high field goal percentage.”

The play all went back to effort, Lonergan said. The breakdown in defense, faltering amid La Salle’s energetic play, failing to capitalize on relatively strong offense – it could all be traced back to a lack of energy.

Even after identifying the source of the failing, Lonergan still couldn’t put his finger on what had changed in GW’s defensive front Wednesday night. When questioned, neither could Mikic.

“I have no idea. I guess we’ll have to find out in the film session,” Mikic said.

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