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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Adair leads GW over Richmond

Everything at Smith Center was pink Sunday for GW’s THINK PINK promotion, the women’s basketball team’s display of support for breast cancer awareness. Everything from the Colonials’ shoelaces to the referees’ whistles was the color of the cause, except for GW’s touch – which was golden.

The No. 14/13 (AP, ESPN/USA Today) Colonials dismantled Richmond by a score of 78-51 in front of a sizeable and pink-covered Smith Center crowd, extending their winning streak to five games. With Xavier’s victory over Temple Feb. 9, the Colonials now sit tied for first place in the Atlantic 10, but hold the tie-breaker over the Musketeers.

Junior Jessica Adair came up just a basket shy of her career high with 27 points while senior Kim Beck added 18 points for the Colonials (19-4, 7-1 A-10). Brittani Shells was Richmond’s only offensive force, notching 21 points for the Spiders.

Adair and Beck traded baskets throughout the first half and combined for GW’s final 20 points of the period. After the game, the pair joked that she and Adair had planned that out, but admitted the inside-outside tandem of those two has been tough to defend.

“When your team is knocking down outside shots you can’t double (team) the post. It’s a pretty good combination and it’s hard to guard,” Adair said.

Defensively the Colonials had a stifling afternoon, holding the Spiders to 28 percent shooting from the field. GW allowed only six field goals in the entire first half, something of which McKeown said he was proud.

“I thought we really contested almost everything and turned them over,” he said. “They got a few open looks but I thought we did a great job defensively, and I think that allowed us to get out and run a little bit on offense and create some opportunities.”

The Colonials now have six regular-season games left, and only one of them is against a team with a record above .500 in the conference. In order to keep his team playing at peak level, McKeown said he hopes to see more production from his bench.

“We have to get some scoring off the bench. We really need people to step up,” McKeown said. “It’s hard to rely on just five people. We play aggressively, so you’re going to have nights you’re going to be in foul trouble, so I think that’s something we’re going to have to establish over the next five or six conference games.”

The announced attendance for the game was 2,807, a top-15 mark all-time for Smith Center crowds at women’s games, and maybe the highest ever for a non-marquee opponent. The high number was probably due in part to Sunday being GW’s first home game since McKeown’s 500th victory a week ago, but also a result of high response to GW’s part in the THINK PINK promotion, nationally co-sponsored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

“I thought it was great crowd today. I was really happy the way people responded to (THINK PINK) and trying to deal with the issues that everybody has to deal with and create more awareness,” McKeown said.

GW’s next travels north to play Massachusetts, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. The Minutewomen are currently 11-12 and 3-5 in conference.

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