Ben Krimmel, a senior majoring in international affairs, is a Hatchet columnist.

Fans could draw few hard conclusions from the Colonials’ game against Delaware State Tuesday night. GW waltzed through the game, finishing with a 44-point win. The game was essentially over before halftime.

During the mundane second half, I prayed for something – anything – to happen. Luckily, the basketball gods came through.

Tuesday night, I witnessed the most memorable play of the season thus far. And no, it wasn’t the slam by Isaiah Armwood or an alley-oop from Maurice Creek.

It starred freshman forward Skyler White. In the first possession after entering the game, White got the ball on the left wing, surveyed the floor and made a good entry pass to Paris Maragkos for a layup.

A normal play at first. But then, something magical happened.

After White’s pass, Delaware State inbounded the ball and all of the players ran down the court. All of the players, that is, except for White: Instead, the six foot eight inches tall freshman dropped to one knee and began to tie his shoe.

Head coach Mike Lonergan, with his palms to the sky, urged White to join his teammates. And it wasn’t until Armwood stood up from the bench that White got going. Lonergan shrugged, and the players on the bench tried their hardest to contain their laughter.

But the players, like myself, were unsuccessful.

Luckily for White, Delaware State missed a shot and GW got the rebound.

It might have been an embarrassing moment for the young player, but it was one that made me – and other fans in the Smith Center earlier this week – into diehard Skyler White fans. The Colonial Army let out one of the loudest cheers of the night when he walked to the scorer’s table. Many of them chanted his name.

After all, it is hard not to like White, the walk-on freshman from Washington who sits way down at the end of the GW bench. In pre-game warm-ups, he congenially jokes with other players while draining open three-pointers.

Later in the game after collecting his first two points of his GW career, White didn’t even crack a smile as he ran down the court, getting back with plenty of time to play defense.

With a few days until GW’s next game, I can’t wait for White to get more playing time. Until then, I’m left selfishly hoping for more of his humorous charm.