The Colonials are returning home after a tough overtime loss at St. Bonaventure. GW had four starters score in double-digits and shot well in the first half, but it was not enough against the tough defense of the Bonnies.

The last time these two teams matched up, the Colonials frontcourt put on a show and paved the way for an eight-point victory for GW.

The Case for the Colonials:
 On Wednesday against St. Bonaventure, the Colonials shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, including six of their first seven three-pointers. If the Colonials continue to sink buckets from beyond the arc, their offense may have too many facets for VCU’s solid defense to handle.

Junior forward Caira Washington has been held off the floor longer than usual lately because of foul trouble, but when she is in the paint she has proven to be a consistent offensive weapon and the Colonials’ go-to interior defender.

Sophomore forward Kelli Prange has also been a key contributor in the past few games. She has scored double-digits in the Colonials’ past four games and sunk a shot from behind the arc in each one. The GW offense should run through Prange and Washington yet again on Saturday.

At the beginning of December the Colonials dropped two games in a row, but do not expect a repeat performance. They have not lost at home since then and are trying to maintain their spot near the top of the conference, now a half-game behind Duquesne.

The Case for the Rams: Saturday is Senior Day for the Colonials and likely four of the five seniors on the roster will see the floor; the fifth senior being forward Jonquel Jones. Without Jones, the top scorer and rebounder, the Colonials are not the same team and have struggled to find consistency.

Without Jones, if the VCU forwards can find a way to control the paint, they could break down the GW defense and be a boost on the scoreboard.

The two conference teams that got the upper hand on the Colonials lay in the win column for the Rams. In the past month, the Rams defeated both St. Bonaventure and Fordham by a combined margin of 15 points.

Senior guard Adaeze Alaeze, junior forward Camille Calhoun, and junior guard Isis Thorpe lead a balanced attack for the Rams. They all average double digit point and combine for 15 rebounds a game.

The Bottom Line: The Colonials are attempting to turn it around and the Rams are trying to pick up a key win before postseason play. GW seems to have the better personnel on both sides of the floor, but with good defenses, like VCU, they have struggled to find the basket late in the game.