The Smith Center was on its feet with three seconds on the clock when junior guard Maceo Jack stepped to the free throw line in GW’s longest game since 1968.
His first shot rattled around the rim, but Jack shrugged it off and hit the second with composure, pulling the Colonials ahead by three over Davidson. The Wildcats were forced to rush up the court in the hopes of evening the score, but a hasty play turned into a steal for senior forward Arnaldo Toro, and GW walked away victorious.
It took 60 minutes of play and quadruple overtime to decide the outcome of the Colonials’ (10-11, 4-4 A-10) contest with the Wildcats (10-10, 4-4 A-10) Wednesday. With a final score of 107–104, GW snapped a four-game losing streak against Davidson and posted its first 100 plus point performance since 2018.
Head coach Jamion Christian said the team thrived off the high-stakes, high-pressure overtime environment.
“We are true competitors,” Christian said. “We really enjoy the moments where there is a bit of doubt so you can go out and really execute. That’s how your team grows and you grow, by leaps and bounds when you go through adversity like that against a good team.”
Jack broke his career scoring record with a team and floor-leading 35 points. Freshman forward Chase Paar posted his second consecutive double-double with a team-leading 16 rebounds and 13 points.
On the night, the squad shot at a .447 clip from the field and a .406 clip from three-point territory. A season-high 20 assists and eight blocks rounded out the historical game for the Colonials.
Davidson powered on, pushing 52 points into the paint on 47 percent shooting from the floor. The Wildcats also connected on 38.5 percent of attempts from beyond the arc, with junior guard Kellan Grady netting four triples and finishing with 28 points.
Redshirt senior guard Armel Potter dished out GW’s first possession to Paar, who missed the shot but redeemed himself with another layup. The Wildcats maneuvered around Paar to claim a layup of their own, tying the score 2–2 in the first minute of play.
The Wildcats were lethal from beyond the arc during the first half, hitting 7-of-9 attempts. GW also had seven triples, but shot at a less efficient rate and going 7-of-15.
Davidson earned its first lead two minutes into the second half, sinking a triple to go up 45–44. Potter was driving to the basket in an attempt to close the deficit, but he fell to the hardwood. He could walk off the court with some assistance but did not return to the game.
Potter was sporting crutches on the bench for the rest of the contest and Christian said he did not have an update on his status after the game.
The two teams traded the lead back and forth for the rest of the half. Jack nabbed a three-pointer for his 26th point of the night, setting a new career record.
With just more than a minute remaining, the Colonials trailed the Wildcats by three points. After a layup by Davidson, Jack sunk his seventh triple of the night to tie the game and send it into overtime.
“I just felt good from the jump,” Jack said. “I just believe in what coach has been preaching to us, stay ready, you have to be ready at every moment and I believe I did a great job of that and my teammates were great finding me.”
A four-point Wildcat run gave Davidson a three-point lead with less than a minute to play. But Jack’s sharp 7-of-13 shooting from deep combined with shut-down defense evened the score and pushed both teams into the first of four overtimes.
Free throws were the name of the game in overtime. The Colonials and Wildcats shot a combined 37 attempts from the charity stripe in overtime alone. Toro and freshman forward Jamison Battle both had 10 attempts and netted seven and nine shots, respectively.
In the first overtime, the Wildcats jumped out to an early lead, but Battle sunk two free throws and a triple to give GW the edge. The Wildcats reclaimed it with a layup, but Paar hit another free throw and brought the Colonials into overtime No. 2.
Seeking an edge, Christian pulled Toro from the bench two minutes into the second overtime period. He had played just six minutes over a four-game span prior to Wednesday’s matchup, and Christian said he thought Toro would thrive in the high-pressure situation.
“He was the kind of guy who would really respond through the course of that game and just had a really good feel for him,” Christian said. “I know how he responds when things are toughest. He’s got a great ability to fight back.”
Toro immediately made an impact, nabbing three offensive rebounds and sinking free throws to keep GW in the game. Down by one with less than 40 seconds remaining, Toro hit a layup off a dish from Battle, sending the squad into its third overtime.
“A.T. came in and provided us with what we needed,” Jack said. “He came in and got those offensive rebounds and got to the free throw line and made some big free throws.”
The Wildcats nabbed the ball to start the third overtime, but neither team could create enough distance to shutdown its conference foe. Freshman forward Jameer Nelson Jr. guaranteed another frame with a layup in the final 15 seconds.
GW struck first during the fourth overtime. With the end in sight, Nelson Jr. and Battle nailed back-to-back threes, and a series of free throws from Nelson Jr., Toro and Jack sealed the historic win.
The Colonials are back in action Saturday at Richmond. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
