For awhile there it looked like GW was going to get run out of the Smith Center, with the Hawks starting the game on a 7-0 run. Eventually the Colonials got their energy up and made it a close one, going back and forth pretty much the while game, finishing with a controversial no-call on St. Joe's.For the game, GW's defense was solid, holding the Hawks to 40.8% from the floor and only 20% from three, both well below their season averages. And Rob Diggs was the man, no other way to put it. He was 10/10 from the floor and got 10 rebounds, most of them emphatic. It was an impressive performance. And the team managed 19 assists, best in the season, and only the fourth time all year they've had more assists than turnovers.
Cheyenne Moore drove a lot of the crowd crazy earlier in the game by hot-dogging it on a pass that led to a turnover, but he redeemed himself in the second half by slamming home an alley-oop from Johnny Lee that reenergized the team and began a run to bring GW back from 7 down to take the lead. After that the game mostly flip-flopped until Rob Diggs fouled out. It then looked lost for GW, with St. Joe's going up 8 with about a minute to go. However, some good defense, steals, and timely threes from Mo Rice and little-used Noel Willmore brought GW to within one with 2 seconds to go.
GW fouled, Garrett Williamson missed the first but hit the second free throw, and GW had the ball back. Inbounds pass, gets to Mo Rice, and Mo Rice gets run over by a St. Joe's player. There's no call, game over, and the refs high-tail it off the court. Boos echoed down as the two teams shook hands.
It was an unfortunate end for a good game, but the team did show some gumption by reeling the Hawks in when the margin got big. Aside from Diggs, Moore, Wynton Witherspoon (12 points, 5 assists), and Johnny Lee (6 assists), the team was sluggish on offense, with Mo Rice and Damian Hollis going a combined 3/15 from the floor for 7 points. Hollis did collect 10 boards, however. For St. Joe's, Pat "CBA" Calathes had 21 points and 10 boards and Rob Ferguson and Ahmad Nivins both had 15. The loss brings GW to 5-11 and 1-5 in conference, St. Joe's to 13-5 and 5-1.
Baby steps.
Links, box score, and Pita Pit Dance Contest/Pat Calathes heckling after the jump.
As for the Pita Pit Dance Contest, my buddy and I were robbed by some kid. I was doing a robotic version of the sprinkler while my Shawnta Rogers jersey-wearing buddy was shaking his butt at the camera. It was a travesty. And we also heckled Pat Calathes about CBA and defunct NBDL teams he was going to play for (Albany Patroons, Quad City Thunder, North Charleston Lowgators) and how he was going bald. He looked like he actually considered the heckles at one point. So that was fun.
--AP article
--Hatchet recap
--Hatchet analysis
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