This entry was written by DCist contributor Hayden Alfano
Playing as they do in the poorly-regarded Atlantic 10 conference, George Washington is often overlooked when the conversation turns to D.C. hoops, particularly since they play in the long shadows cast by Georgetown and Maryland, two successful programs in the nation’s “power” conferences. But the Colonials may just be the best the area has to offer.
With an 81-62 over Rhode Island on Saturday, GW ran its record to 16-1 and seems well on their way to a high seed in March’s NCAA tournament. Rhode Island head coach Jim Baron said of the Colonials, “They’re as good a team as we’ve ever faced.” High praise, indeed, as that list includes the 2003-2004 St. Joseph’s team that went undefeated during the regular season.
The Colonials were led once again on Saturday by Danilo Pinnock, with 18 points, and forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu added 17 points and 12 boards. For the second straight game, GW used a large late run — 29-8 on Saturday, 29-14 against Duquesne on Wednesday — to put a close game to rest. If there’s anything for GW fans to worry about, it’s that; come the postseason, letting the opponent hang around could mean an early exit from the tournament. For more on GW basketball, check out the new Colonial Hoops blog.
The Colonials now sit atop the A-10 at 6-0. One of those conference wins came on January 4, a 72-60 victory over Temple. On Saturday in Philadelphia, the Owls got their revenge on the D.C. area, beating Maryland 91-85 . Nik Caner-Medley scored 33 points, the second time in as many games that he’s broken 30, which coincides with senior Chris McCray being declared academically ineligible. McCray’s replacement in the starting lineup, Mike Jones, chipped in 23 points (including seven three-pointers), but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Owls. Turnovers decided the game, as the Terps committed 20 (Temple had just five) and lost despite shooting 53 percent from the field and hitting 12 of 24 threes.
In other local action, Georgetown continued to roll with a 76-57 win over Cincinnati.
