First GW’s two star seniors were hurt against eighth-ranked Penn State University last Friday, then the Nittany Lions added insult to injury by pummeling the Colonials, 77-51.
GW (1-2) would recover to win its second game of the Junkanoo Jam, which was held on Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas, by beating Arizona State University (2-2) Saturday, 58-45. But GW Head Coach Joe McKeown said the loss to Penn State (2-1) left his team hurting mentally as well as physically.
“We have to get our swagger back. It just becomes a confidence issue,” he said. “We got knocked down a little bit and nobody expected what happened against Georgetown. Now we just have to step up and say, ‘Hey, we’re GW. We’re supposed to be a great team. Now let’s go out and prove it.'”
The Colonials hardly played like a great team Friday after seniors Ugo Oha and Cathy Joens both suffered injuries in the first half. Oha collided with a Penn State player in the game’s first minute, suffering a deep bruise to her collarbone. Later in the half, Joens made a baseline cut to score a basket but came down on a Nittany Lion, spraining her ankle.
Oha would still play 32 minutes and finish with a team-high 14 points, eight of which came from the free throw line. But Joens played only sparingly in the second half, and GW could not erase a 22-point halftime deficit.
The Colonials kept the game close for most of the first half, but Penn State used an 18-5 run over the final six minutes to take a 43-21 lead at the break. GW would never get closer than 19, as Penn State led by as many as 29 in the second half.
The Nittany Lions had four players in double figures and shot 52.5 percent for the game.
“I think we got shell-shocked a little bit,” McKeown said. “It was a game that was under control, and they just went on a run at the end of the first half and we could never recover. We just never got back on defense, and they’re pretty good, obviously. They make open shots, and we gave them open shots.”
Both Oha and Joens played against the Sun Devils Saturday, and Oha showed no effects from her injury, scoring 22 points on 10-for-14 shooting while adding 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. But Joens shot 1-for-9 from the field and finished with five points.
“I definitely think it was injury related,” McKeown said of Joens’ performance, “because we got her shots that she normally makes left-handed or in her sleep.”
The Colonials didn’t need Joens’ scoring, though, as strong defensive play led GW over the Sun Devils. After taking a 25-19 advantage into halftime, GW limited Arizona State to 30 percent shooting in the second half.
The Sun Devils did make a run to tie the score at 40 with just under eight minutes remaining, but GW finished the game with an 18-5 run of its own, with Oha and junior Anna Montanana each scoring eight points over that span. Montanana totaled 18 for the game to go with six rebounds and seven turnovers.
“I don’t want to downplay the importance of a game in November,” McKeown said. “We needed a win. There’s no question that we just needed to get some confidence back.”
GW will try to continue building its confidence against Syracuse University Thursday at the Smith Center at 7 p.m. The Orangemen are 3-2 on the season, including a victory over Atlantic 10 member Massachusetts that saw Syracuse make 15 of 35 three-pointers.
McKeown said starting Joens will be a game-time decision, but Oha will definitely start Thursday.
