Web Update
Saturday, Jan. 26, 11:23 p.m.
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 26 — The road woes continued for the GW men’s basketball team Saturday night. This chapter was a 92-67 loss at Duquesne University Saturday night here in Pittsburgh. The Colonials (5-10, 1-4 Atlantic 10) are now 0-8 in games away from Smith Center and have lost four straight contests.
The Dukes (13-5, 3-2 A-10) employed a fast style of play, one GW could not keep up with. Duquesne took early opportunities in transition to shoot from behind the arc, launching 29 shots from three-point territory. The Colonials took just eight and tried to force its way inside in order to compete but the play often resulted in a turnover, of which GW had 29, the most it has had this season.
“We played against a team that exploited the weakest part of our game, which is the backcourt,” GW head coach Karl Hobbs said. “We’re trying to get through a season without a point guard. This is the first team to really exploit that. Their speed and pressure took us out of everything we tried to do.”
The Dukes, who are third in the nation in scoring average with 85.6 points per game, won the opening tip and ran away with the lead and the victory in the opening seconds, hitting two three-pointers in the first minute. They jumped out to an early 19-8 lead and entered halftime with a 53-32 advantage.
Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said setting the pace of the game and keeping it in the Dukes’ control was especially important against a team like GW, which he described as “rangy, long and athletic.”
“Because we were able to score early, it helped us make it more of a transition game,” Everhart said. “When (the Colonials) stretch in their zone, they really cover the lane and you know if you can’t get anything out of transition, it’s going to take a while (to establish a lead).”
The Dukes were led by junior Shawn James, who had 21 points, and classmate Kojo Mensah, who added 13 points. They also had 37 points from the bench, compared to the Colonials’ 13. The Colonials had two players in double digits, junior Wynton Witherspoon with 17 and classmate Rob Diggs with 14.
Hobbs was assessed a technical foul with a little less than 10 minutes remaining after he exchanged words with a displeased referee. It was Hobbs’ second technical in as many games.
The Colonials now return to Smith Center to host Saint Joseph’s (12-5, 4-1 A-10) Jan. 30. The Hawks are coming off a one-point victory over Temple University in Philadelphia.
