With exactly 13 minutes left in the first half of Thursday’s game against James Madison, sophomore forward Nemanja Mikic drained a three-point shot to put GW up 10-9. It would be the Colonials’ last lead of the game.
James Madison pulled away from the back-and-forth nature of the half’s first seven minutes of play, using a pair of 10-point and eight-point runs to head into the half with a 20-point lead.
GW couldn’t overcome the deficit in the second half, and though the Colonials closed within five points with a minute and 11 seconds to play in the game, the team eventually dropped its sixth straight to JMU, falling 62-57. GW hasn’t won a game in almost a month, since it posted a 77-56 victory over Bowling Green Nov. 23.
The Colonials’ now-customary offensive struggles followed them into their home stand against JMU. GW shot just 34.6 percent from the floor in the first half, making just 9 of 26 shots. Despite a starting lineup that saw some shuffles, including the addition of senior forward Aaron Ware, normally a valuable addition off the bench, the Colonials couldn’t jumpstart their shooting. GW made just 20 percent of their shots from three-point range, another unwelcome trend for the team this season.
Defensively, GW couldn’t contain JMU in the first, allowing them 65.4 percent shooting from the field and 66.7 percent shooting from the perimeter before the break. The teams headed into the half with 14 rebounds apiece, but James Madison bested the Colonials on defensive boards 12-7 in the first.
When play resumed, GW refocused their defense to shut down the Dukes, holding them to 28.6 percent shooting in the second, where James Madison made just six of 21 shots. And the Colonials re-energized at the boards, owning a 21-13 rebound advantage on the second.
GW’s defensive stance wasn’t properly supplemented by an equal offensive boost, the Colonials shooting just 46.7 percent from the field in the second. Despite matching JMU’s percentage at the line, GW couldn’t capitalize on long-range looks, making just 2 of 7 three-point attempts in the second half. Junior forward David Pellom paced the team, netting a career-high 22 points and adding three rebounds, followed by senior guard Tony Taylor, who posted 12 points and four rebounds and junior guard Lasan Kromah, who added 10 points and four assists. No other Colonials added more than four points.
GW looks to stop its skid Dec. 28, when it hosts UAB at 7 p.m.
