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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

Colonials prepare for A-10 play

The women’s basketball team stood at the center of the court in a tight circle after practice. Some held hands, others draped their arms over the shoulders of the teammates next to them. Some smiled and laughed, others gazed directly at the floor, emotions hidden. But all fell silent as head coach Mike Bozeman spoke, inaudible to spectators but clear to his team. When he finished, they cheered in unison and left the court with high fives, grinning and joking with each other on their way to the locker room.

It didn’t look like a team that suffered the worst loss in program history this season. It didn’t look like a team with the second lowest win percentage in program history, .286 percent, second only to the Colonials’ 2009-10 season. What it looked like was a team confident in its abilities despite struggles, preparing to head to the Atlantic 10 Championship in Lowell, Mass.

“It’s a new start. The regular season is over, we’re into postseason now,” said junior guard Tiana Myers. “Like we just said in our circle, you create your luck. You make your opportunities. We’re just staying together, having focus and a positive mindset.”

Bozeman is preaching positivity to his players, aware that much of GW’s struggles are mental. Through it all, Bozeman praised the fighting spirit of his players, a point he continues to push as the Colonials (8-20, 3-11 A-10) prepare for championship play. He believes in their abilities, and is pushing GW to have the same confidence.

“No one’s feeling sorry for themselves,” Bozeman said Tuesday afternoon. “I think we’re looking forward to the tournament as an opportunity for redemption.”

“If we do what the coaches are telling us to do we’ll be successful,” Myers agreed. “Not thinking about the day before, the day after, just playing in those 40 minutes.”

Many of GW’s struggles this season were a result of the injuries that plagued their roster, limiting the number of players available off the bench. It was a challenge Bozeman said was hard to adjust to in the thick of the season, but one he feels the team can address as it heads into the postseason.

“I think during the season, sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees,” Bozeman said. “I want to try to rotate them out and try to keep their legs fresh in the first half. The second half, this is our season. You just have to let it all hang out and recoup for the next game. We’ll worry about the next game when we get to the next game.”

GW’s first opponent in championship play will be Dayton, a team the Colonials lost to, 80-64, earlier this season. It was a game where GW played the Flyers closely, shooting 41.3 percent from the field, until the final minutes of the second half, when Dayton took advantage of the depleted GW bench.

Despite the loss, Bozeman believes the positives the Colonials showed during the game prove they’re capable of beating Dayton – and believes the experience of playing the Flyers will boost his team heading into the upcoming matchup.

“We’re looking at what we did at Dayton and what we can do versus the same team at a neutral court. There’s a different level of confidence there,” Bozeman said. “It’s not like we’re at Xavier, we’re not at Temple. We’re at Lowell, Massachusetts, and we’re playing Dayton, who’s a formidable opponent, but we did well against them.”

The Colonials travel to Massachusetts and begin championship playoffs Thursday, March 4, at the Tsongas Center, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.

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