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1/09/2023 1:33 pm  #1


GW versus Fordham Thread

Next up:                  Fordham University Rams
Time:                       January 11, 2023; 12 PM
Venue:                    Smith Center; Washington DC
2021-22 Record:    18-10 overall; 8-6 in A10
2023 Projection:    4th
Current Record:    11-5   
OOC Record:         
8-5   
A10 Record:           
3-0
Common OOC:     Manhattan (Win)
Broadcast:            ESPN+ 

After a hard fought victory in Olean, NY, the Colonials return to the friendly confines of the Smith Center on Wednesday to take on the Fordham Rams. The Rams, who were picked to finish 4th in the A10 this year, completed their OOC schedule with an 8-5 record that included losses to Washington of the PAC-12, and a tightly contested game against a ranked Maryland squad. The Rams shared one common OOC opponent with GW, and like GW, they defeated the Manhattan Jaspers (65-55). Fordham comes into the game undefeated in A10 play, having dispatched Davidson, VCU and Dayton.
 
Fordham brings in the A10’s second highest scoring team at 73.8 ppg and is shooting 42.3% from the field (34.5 % from 3-point range) and 79.5% on free throws. They allow 63.1 ppg on 39.9% accuracy. The Rams boast a balanced attack led by two veteran players who achieved preseason all A10 honors. 2nd Team all A10 guard Asiah Dingle leads the Rams in scoring at 19.3 ppg. Her running mate in the backcourt, Anna DeWolfe, who was a 1st Team all-A10 pick, is scoring at a 17.7 ppg. clip. The frontcourt is anchored by graduate student Kaitlyn Downey, who averages 12.1 ppg and 8.9 rpg,
 
We haven’t beat Fordham since the 2016-17 season, so we’re overdue. Last year, GW was on the losing end of a 61-53 contest played at Rose Hill in the Bronx.
 
About the game:
 
Fordham is a veteran squad that starts three graduate students and two seniors. They bring in a potent trio that accounts for 67%of their scoring. The high scoring trio has also combined for 102 3-pointers on 276 attempts (37%). The Rams are not a tall squad, but they are quick and have two guards that handle the ball well, so we’ll have our work cut out for us on defense. Dingle played for Coach McCombs at Stony Brook during the 2020-21 season, so Coach may have some thoughts on how to slow her down.
 
For GW, this game will be about trying to keep up offensively. We can’t afford a bad start or sustained droughts against this team. That means sticking with our offensive movement, taking good shots, and limiting our one-on-one actions. Look for Lakstigala to come back strong from the Bonnies game and for the other starters to continue to perform well. Taiwo needs to be Taiwo, and Brown, Blethen, and Innis need to take advantage of their scoring opportunities. At the other end, we need to limit easy baskets and make the Rams work hard for their scores. Robertson has been reliable coming off the bench, but we need Lok, Thornton, Webster and Engel to make good offensive decisions and play strong defense.
 
Easier said than done, but if GW wants to regularly compete with the upper tier A10 squads, all the pieces have to fall in place.

Last edited by xAC (1/09/2023 3:46 pm)

 

1/11/2023 1:57 pm  #2


Re: GW versus Fordham Thread

Had an 8 point lead with 1:26 left. At the 51 second mark that lead is now 2....

Let's see if they can hold on

 

1/11/2023 2:10 pm  #3


Re: GW versus Fordham Thread

They most certainly did!  A six-point win!  Bigtime win!

Last edited by keithgreene (1/11/2023 2:10 pm)

 

1/11/2023 2:45 pm  #4


Re: GW versus Fordham Thread

GW hangs on for the victory 63-57.

GW started the game strong defensively, but not cohesive on offense. Holding the Rams to just 10 points was important because we could only manage 12 points ourselves. Thanks to Robertson’s 5 points, GW was able to take a 2-point lead into the 2nd quarter. Some early offensive sloppiness by GW allowed Fordham to run out to the lead early in the second period, but the defense continued to be solid and our offense was just good enough to take a 29-29 tie score into the second half. Lakstigala, Taiwo, and Thornton all tallied 6 points in the 1st half for GW. To start the 3rd period, the Colonials broke out fast and built up a 9-point lead before getting bogged down offensively and letting the Rams reduce the lead to 5. Robertson supplied the fire power in the 3rd, with 9 timely points in the quarter. Leading 44-39 to start the 4th quarter, GW got their offense going and ran up a 10-point lead with a little over two minutes left in the game. Our continued failure to handle their full court pressure defense let Fordham get within a basket with over a minute remaining, but a spectacular offensive rebound basket by Robertson and a pair of free throws by Lakstigala sealed the deal for GW.

First and foremost, this was a defensive victory for GW. We held Fordham well below their offensive averages in points (-16) and shooting percentage (-8%). We had enough offensive spurts to get us past the finish line (didn’t someone say we needed to score 65 points?). Robertson finished with a game high 23 points. Lakstigala and Taiwo turned in doubles-doubles, (14-10 and 10-11 respectively). Although we didn’t get other big scoring contributions, our subs did turn in some key plays at critical moments and played solid defense throughout. The game did highlight a recurring weakness-- specifically how to play with a lead against pressure defense, and our penchant for TOs (23 for the game; 7 TOs for Robertson), with many of them being of the unforced variety. Hopefully we can find ways to improve in these areas moving forward.

Needless to say, this was a huge win for the program as well as a big confidence booster. Next stop is LaSalle in the city of Brotherly Love.

     Thread Starter
 

1/11/2023 3:07 pm  #5


Re: GW versus Fordham Thread

Apparently, the University´s First Lady-elect was attending her first GW game today. So either she is a good luck charm or her good mojo is a mirage. I am hoping for the former.

 

1/11/2023 7:25 pm  #6


Re: GW versus Fordham Thread

What an awesome statement win. If this team can bring that sort of defense every night they will be a force in the A10. The team clearly felt disrespected and that clearly motivated them. Here's a thread of some notable postgame quotes from Robertson: =15pxhttps://twitter.com/david_korn4/status/1613284695634071576?s=20&t=BLw4UUhNuQUQxk-vXVBNxQ  and here's what Taiwo had to say: https://twitter.com/david_korn4/status/1613286924499800093?s=20&t=BLw4UUhNuQUQxk-vXVBNxQ

 

1/11/2023 7:49 pm  #7


Re: GW versus Fordham Thread

A little off topic:  Taiwo has done a great job this year of staying out of foul trouble.  I think that's helped the team a bunch.  Hope I didn't jinx her.

 

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