Final Result: GW loses on the road to Fordham 61-53.

The starting lineup for today: Andrews, Engel, Lewis, Matthews, and Mott. Both teams competed evenly to start the game with GW doing a good job against the Fordham press. GW led 8-7 at the 4:59 media timeout. After the timeout, both defenses stiffened, and GW, who was more successful offensively, used a key 3-pointer by Engel to take a 15-9 lead into the 2nd quarter. GW’s defense continued to excel, extending a Rams scoring drought to 8.5 minutes, but the offense could only manage to extend the lead to 19-11 at the halfway point of the quarter. GW continued to struggle on offense as Donaldson began to find her rhythm for Fordham. Careless ball handling by Andrews as GW was trying for a final shot resulted in a turnover and easy layup, and the Rams cut the lead to just 24-22 going into halftime. Engel and Mott led GW with 6 points each. Donaldson had 8 points for Fordham. Both teams shot under 30% for the half, but Fordham was able to take 9 more attempts than the Revs. GW started the 2nd half with a lid on the basket and could not buy a basket. Fordham took a 31-27 lead into the media timeout at 5:00.  GW recovered offensively to go back ahead, but a horrendous call and subsequent technical foul resulted in 5 free throws for Fordham as they regained the lead at 41-37 going into the final period. Still reeling from the 3rd quarter events, GW quickly lost more ground to the Rams, and trailed 53-43 at the 3:29m mark. The lead was too big for the Revs to overcome as they fell to Fordham 61-53. Mott led the way for GW with 12 points and 9 rebounds, and Reynolds added a team-high 14 points coming off the bench. For Fordham, Donaldson led the way with 16 points, while Harris chipped in 14 important points.

There is no question that officiating helped to determine the outcome of this game. With .8 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, a non-existent foul called on Andrews (her 4th) led to a subsequent T that became her 5th, and she had to sit her out for the remainder of the game. Officiating aside, GW’s glaring offensive deficiencies overshadowed the good defensive effort that held Fordham to 36% shooting from the field. GW shot only 30.6% and was just 1-11 from beyond the arc. But to think that GW still had a chance to win this game despite 21 turnovers and just 7 assists, while allowing Fordham to shoot 7-14 on 3-pointers is remarkable. Rebounding and points-in-the-paint continue to be GW’s strong suits, but they have to find a way to get easier scores. Too much dribbling equals trouble for this squad, as Andrews and Reynolds are both average ball handlers at best. And so much dribbling on the outside makes no sense. Lewis has been prone to traveling violations, and on most occasions, bad things happen when GW players drive the baseline. This team plays hard, but not smart. There seems to be no change of strategy or style of play for different game situations, and a leader on the floor has yet to emerge. This was definitely a game GW probably could have won.

Next up, Duquesne comes to DC for a Saturday contest. This looks like another winnable game.

Last edited by xAC (2/02/2025 3:42 pm)