Pinnock’s extra warm-ups pay off

Two hours before GW tipped off against Richmond Saturday, sophomore J.R. Pinnock was already at work. With a gold Colonials basketball T-shirt on, Pinnock seemed relaxed but focused. He stroked jumper after jumper, practicing quick spurts to the basket and floaters in the lane.

The extra work appeared to pay off. He scored 15 points in the win, including a powerful baseline dunk. Pinnock is the first player in the gym on most occasions for warm-ups.

“I like to just get in the game,” he said. “I like to have a nice sweat going. I don’t think the time we have for warm-ups is that long.”

His pre-game shot selection looked a bit out of his range at times, as he stood on top of the Tex Silverman Court logo and drained three in a row from 25 feet out. Late in the game, he showed that range again.

With about 10 minutes left, Pinnock found himself with the ball from about three feet beyond the three-point line, facing the shot that he spent an hour practicing. Without reservation, he fired and connected.

“I usually take those in practice but never during the games,” Pinnock said.

Along with junior Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Pinnock comes off the bench to provide an instant burst of energy for his team. After emerging victorious on Saturday, he seemed willing to settle into his role.

“Whatever is needed, I’m willing to do,” Pinnock said. “One day it might be scoring 15 and one day it might be scoring two and stopping their leading scorer. Whatever needs to be done I’m willing to do.”

His performance was, once again, very efficient. He was 6-for-11 from the floor, 2-for-2 from the foul line and had five rebounds.

Frustrated Richmond coach short with media

After the game, Richmond coach Jerry Wainwright did not answer any questions in the post-game press conference. After a game in which he appeared frustrated by several referees’ calls, he gave a quick opening statement, saying that Hobbs is a good coach and he enjoys playing against the Colonials.

After that, he left without answering any questions.

GW set to face hot Fordham team

The Colonials will face Fordham Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Smith Center. The Rams, led by second-year coach Derek Wittenberg, are turning many heads in the Atlantic 10. The Rams have already defeated Temple, Massachusetts and Xavier this year and are looking to extend their current winning streak to three games with a win over GW. Fordham (10-12, 6-5 A-10) is led by freshman Bryant Dunston, who is averaging just over 14 points per game.

The Rams are one of the youngest teams in the A-10, almost a mirror reflection of the Colonials of a few years ago. Hobbs has said Wittenberg has done a superb job with turning around the program.

The Rams’ 10 wins this season are their most since its 12-win season in 2000-01.

-Jake Sherman