Posted Saturday, Jan. 13, 5:42 p.m.
For the GW men’s basketball team’s 22nd consecutive home victory over St. Bonaventure Saturday, the Colonials got a few things that were conspicuously missing Wednesday in a road loss to Massachusetts. A much maligned and somewhat thin frontcourt showed up and the team was able to execute fluidly. The result was a 80-63 win over the Bonnies and an extension of the nation’s fifth-best home court winning streak.
Senior Dokun Akingbade had 12 points and 11 rebounds and classmate Regis Koundjia had 13 points and six rebounds in the win, which gives the Colonials an 11-4 record overall and an improvement to 2-1 in the Atlantic 10. GW shot an even 50 percent from the floor while the Bonnies managed a 41.2 percent day.
Karl Hobbs, GW’s head coach, said rebounding was a big difference in today’s game. The Colonials picked up 17 offensive boards and out rebounded the Bonnies 43-31.
“We talked about that a lot,” Hobbs said. “I thought we could really do a better job rebounding.”
St. Bonaventure kept it close for most of the first half, puling within one point with 6:55 remaining in the first period.
GW’s backcourt, which was lauded as one of the nation’s best in the early part of the season, combined for only four turnovers in a half-good performance. Maureece Rice, GW’s junior guard, had 14 points and four rebounds.
Senior Carl Elliott’s inconsistency continued with a nine-point performance. Elliott was 3-for-10 from the floor and 2-for-5 from the line in 31 minutes.
Hobbs has moved away from blaming his performance on a “bad night” and said scoring has never been his forte.
The Colonials are also experiencing a rough stretch from the free throw line. GW was 9-for-19 with the worst culprits being sophomore Cheyenne Moore’s (10 points) 3-for-5 outing and sophomore Rob Diggs’ (eight points) 0-for-2 performance.
St. Bonaventure got 12 points a piece from A.J. Hawkins and Paul Williams. Jourdan Morris had 10 points. A-10 co-player of the week Zarryon Fereti had eight first-half points but only played one minute in the second half. St. Bonaventure head coach Anthony Solomon said it was a coach’s decision.
The Colonials A-10 schedule continues Wednesday night in Richmond, Va., with a matchup with the Richmond Spiders. In Hobbs’ tenure as head coach in Foggy Bottom, GW has won only once at Robins Center.
Read Tuesday’s Hatchet for more GW basketball coverage.
