Final Result:  GW wins 69-59 with a big 2nd half comeback.
 
Both teams came out of the gate slowly and were extremely sloppy with the ball. Neither team shot well, but AU was a bit more successful and took a 6-2 lead into the first official time out. GW’s offensive woes continued, allowing the Eagles to take a 14-8 lead after one quarter. The teams continued their sloppy play, but AU was able sustain their lead, going into the half ahead by 30-23. GW was only 8-28 from the field and had 13 turnovers at the intermission. Robertson was 1-9, and was repeatedly stopped on her drives to the basket. Coach McCombs did expand her rotation significantly, with Blethen, Buford, Innis, Lewis, Loving, Marsh, and Webster all getting minutes. The Lady Revs came out of the gate fast to start the 3rd quarter and never stopped, turning the 7-point deficit to a 7-point lead at the end of the period. Lok led the way with 14 of GW’s 27 points and the defense held the Eagles to just 13 points. GW’s steady play in the final period extended the lead to 10 and GW escaped with a 69-59 win after playing a horrid first half.

Another game, another heroine, this time Lok (19 pts). Her 3rd quarter spurt was the difference in the game and Brown’s timely support (15 pts) on both ends helped to keep the Revs on top. Durant finished 10 pts and 8 rebs to neutralize John’s presence. With the 3’s not dropping, winning the points in the paint was essential. In the pivotal moments of the second half, Webster (4 pts and 5 rebs) made critical defensive plays and grabbed key rebounds. It was also great to see Innis, who hit a clutch 3-pointer, back in the line-up. GW finished the game at 41.5% from the field (27% from beyond the arc) while holding AU to 38% (and 26.7% from 4-point range).

Next up, a trip to the Eastern Shore. The defense is on schedule, but the offense still needs work. Regardless, 3-0 to start the season is a good look.

Last edited by xAC (11/15/2023 8:34 pm)

The second half performance offensively was encouraging after what looked to be a very negative performance going into halftime. Thankfully American did not look good at all but GW was down by more than two possessions for a good part of the first half. Defense was good, but this team's performance is going to be judged by offensive execution the rest of the year. It's less about the players doing anything wrong and more about the system that doesn't seem the most effective. The team experience is placing expectations a bit higher than they would otherwise.

I just don't know how effective it is to play Maren and Mayowa together. It compromises spacing and as I've said the past two games, Taiwo only gets touches around the perimeter instead of underneath. Happy she was able to get a shot to go yesterday, but as one of the most important players on the team I was expecting a play drawn up for her to get her going multiple games ago. Fingers crossed that they are able to play effectively together down the line as it's still early. Playing Faith at the 4 helps with spacing a lot, and I think that made a difference after halftime.

The first twenty minutes of the game the offense looked very robotic and predictable. Dribble handoff from the top of the arc, drive into several American defenders, then pass it back out and do the same thing over and over again until the shot clock runs out. Very occasionally, Maren gets a touch or GW draws a foul and gets to the line. If nothing else transpires, Nya Robertson launches a shot not within the flow of the offense. This stuck out more because Nya had an off game. That happens, but it appeared early on that the team did not have a Plan B otherwise. The players on the floor aren't moving a ton off the ball either. Ball movement would help Nya's efficiency a lot but she's expected to make something out of nothing too often (which is unfair).

Good to see Asjah come back, but this team is definitely short a guard. Liked Nya Lok's and Essence Brown's aggressiveness after halftime. Taylor as mentioned by xAC had good moments defensively.

Shots won't always go in, but it was clear that there was a direct relationship between the quality of shots and how efficient WBB was between the two halves. Even in the second half, I thought there were times the ball was only being passed once instead of moving around but the shots were at least more open/better looks overall.

It's definitely still early, but this feels a recurring theme throughout the McCombs era. The second half was great, and hopefully that momentum carries over. If the team is expecting to hang with the URIs of the world though the offense will have to get better because there will be games where the opposition is making shots and GW may find themselves having to overcome a huge deficit due to a subpar offense. Glad the team was able to adjust though and come out with the W.
 

Nice to see another comeback win but I share some of the same concerns about the offense. I am afraid for what happens when Robertson has an off night against a stronger opponent. https://gwradio.com/womens-basketball-storms-back-defeats-american-69-59/