GW Extends Hot Start With an Ugly Victory

(Linda Spillers - AP)

George Washington has quietly inched its way up the national rankings, sliding into the No. 12 slot this week to achieve its highest mark in 14 seasons. There were a couple bumps along the way, predictable losses to top-ranked Maryland and mighty Tennessee, but for the most part, the Colonials enjoyed a decidedly successful nonconference swing.

Last night their attention turned to the Atlantic 10, and while the Colonials ended up beating Richmond, 57-50, for their fifth straight victory, they had to overcome a sleepy start and a season-high 27 turnovers before 646 at Smith Center.

GW (12-2, 1-0) matched the third-best start in program history and provided Coach Joe McKeown with his 398th victory since arriving in Foggy Bottom in 1989.

"We've just got to do a better job taking care of the ball," said McKeown, whose team was playing for only the third time in 24 days. "I felt we played at a pretty good pace, but we just struggled scoring."

Whitney Allen and Kenan Cole had 14 points and six rebounds apiece for GW, which shot nearly as well from the field (46 percent) as the free throw line (50 percent). Christina Campion scored 22 points for the Spiders (6-10, 0-1), who shot 37 percent and committed 23 turnovers -- the third straight GW opponent to surpass 20.

For 16 minutes the Colonials barely resembled the team that beat a pair of Southeastern Conference teams, Auburn and Georgia, by double digits and routed host San Diego State by 34 in a holiday tournament final.

The Spiders, who had defeated Wake Forest and Virginia in their previous two games, were equally out of sorts. At the nine-minute mark of the first half, the teams had combined for 19 points and 21 turnovers.

The sloppiness continued unabated, with neither side able to establish an offensive rhythm. But with the scored tied at 17, the Colonials finally displayed some intensity and execution, resulting in a 10-2 run to end the half.

Allen (Woodbridge) made consecutive shots and Jazmine Adair (Anacostia) converted two offensive rebounds into baskets 40 seconds apart to give GW a 27-19 lead, ending a half marred by 30 turnovers and a 21-9 rebounding advantage for the Colonials.

"As a team, we had a little talk at the half," said Adair, who finished with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and had a game-high 10 rebounds. "We needed to step it up and be smart with the ball. We definitely needed to get our energy up."

The quality of play improved a bit after the break, with the Colonials stretching their lead to 13. Richmond, which won at Smith Center last year, kept the score close with its three-point shooting and, although GW's play deteriorated again, the outcome was never really in doubt.

"I'm just a little disappointed the way we finished the game because we had a chance to really open it up," McKeown said. "Making free throws and executing down the stretch is something we pride ourselves on, and we didn't do it very well tonight."