Final Result: GW defense stifles GSU, stays unbeaten at home with 56-46 win
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GW again started with the lineup of Andrews, Calisto, Diala, Planes Fortuny, and Sims. GW started out solidly on defense, limiting GSU to just 2-11 from the field. Johnson dominated inside play for the Eagles getting 6 offensive boards in the first 4 minutes of play and causing GW to get into early foul trouble. At the media timeout, GW held a slim 10-7 lead on the strength of a pair of Sims 3’s. GW’s stingy defense held GSU at bay, but 1st quarter turnovers (8 in all), mostly on careless passes, stymied the Revs offense. GW could only muster a 13-10 lead by the end of the period. After scoring the first 5 points of the 2nd quarter, GW forced a quick Eagles timeout at 7:39. A combination of careless GW ball handling, missed shots, and questionable officiating gave GSU life, resulting in a slim GW 24-20 lead at the 3:31 mark of the 2nd period. After a slow final few moments, GW led 31-25 going into the half. Although GW was beating GSU in almost every aspect of the game, 14 1st half turnovers kept GSU in the game. Lewis and Reynolds had 8 points each to lead the Revs, while Gwynn led GSU with 9 points. An early offensive flurry by Sims to start the 3rd quarter staked GW to a 44-35 advantage at the 4:14 timeout. GW managed to extend the lead to 50-37 heading into the 4th quarter, despite more questionable calls from the officials. GW started the quarter out strong, but a 5-minute drought halfway into the final period allowed GSU to peck away at the lead, which stood at 55-45 at the 4:51 mark. The final 4:51 was an exercise in futility, as both teams could only generate a single point each, resulting in a 56-46 GW win. For GW, Lewis had another strong showing with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Sims and Planes Fortuny chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively. GSU’s Gwynn led all scorers with 19 points.

GW held GSU to 32.7% shooting (19% from beyond the arc) and forced 22 turnovers. Lewis is on the ascent, and is not only productive, but efficient, especially on the boards. Our bench contributed to 45% of the team’s scoring and starters Diala and Calisto were able to contribute some timely baskets. Our leading scorer (Andrews) only played 7 minutes today and didn’t score. A win is a win, but this was an ugly game and there is a ton of room for improvement. Considering how well the defense played, this could have been a route. Instead, the offense committed 25 turnovers, many unforced, and despite hitting 46.7% of their shots (46.7% from 3-point range as well), missed a number of open, makeable shots. The offense was shaky against the press at times, making some bad choices after getting the ball over the half court line. Sims, who is starting at point guard and handling the ball the majority of the time, had 9 turnovers—maybe there’s a better solution. Making free throws (GW was 7-16) also remained a major issue.

It seems we have some good pieces, so it would be great to see continuous positive progress in all of these areas, starting with the Morgan State game on Wednesday.