Serving the GW Community since 1904

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

NEWSLETTER
Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter!

At Davidson, defensive struggles end men’s basketball’s regular season on sour note

Redshirt junior Tyler Cavanaugh moves to the basket in GW's loss to Davidson. Cavanaugh scored 16 but was only one-for-three at the free throw line. Dan Rich | Contributing Photo Editor
Redshirt junior Tyler Cavanaugh moves to the basket in GW’s loss to Davidson. Cavanaugh scored 16 but was only one-for-three at the free throw line. Dan Rich | Contributing Photo Editor
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Entering the final minute of GW’s game at Davidson on Saturday, Wildcats junior guard Jack Gibbs gave the Colonials a final breath of life, even as he’d been slowly sucking it out of them all game. Gibbs missed the second of two free throws to keep the game within six points.

GW needed a three, so they put the ball in sharpshooter Patricio Garino’s hands. But Gibbs was done helping out. He slapped the ball away, drawing a foul as he escaped Garino’s clutches with his prize. Back at the line, Gibbs sank both shots. A flurry of fouls followed, but the Colonials never threatened again, ultimately falling 87-80 in their final game of the regular season. Davidson’s 87 points were the most GW has given up in a regulation-length game this season.

“It’s all about defense and I’ve just had trouble getting this group to be committed to defense all year,” head coach Mike Lonergan said. “This was a really meaningful game and we needed to come in here with that mentality.”

Relatively speaking, since the Wildcats shot 56 percent for the game, Gibbs had to work for his 31 points, which came on 11-of-23 shooting. The same was not true for forward Peyton Aldridge and guard Brian Sullivan, who were 7-for-12 and 7-for-11, respectively.

Behind Garino and Watanabe’s team-high 22 points each, forward Tyler Cavanaugh got his 16, but was torched by Aldridge who shot over him the entire game. Cavanaugh also committed five turnovers.

“We thought we could guard Aldridge one-on-one in the post and with Davidson’s outside shooting we can’t really drop down there and help Tyler, so Aldridge had his way with him,” Lonergan said.

Sullivan got space off screens and, when necessary, simply shot over the GW guards. Point guard Joe McDonald had seven rebounds and five assists, but only provided five points to keep up with Sullivan’s production. The GW bench was almost nonexistent, with five points.

GW did control the boards 41-28, with a 17-7 edge off the offensive glass, but couldn’t

Senior forward Patricio Garino attempts a layup in GW's loss against Davidson. Garino scored 22 in the win but fouled out late in the second half. Dan Rich | Contributing Photo Editor
Senior forward Patricio Garino attempts a layup in GW’s loss against Davidson. Garino scored 22 in the win but fouled out late in the second half. Dan Rich | Contributing Photo Editor
capitalize on second chances. The Colonials barely outscored Davidson, 13-11, in second chance points. Forward Kevin Larsen had 12 rebounds but missed a number of layups, including one late in the game, down 67-66 after Watanabe rattled off five straight points, with the chance to take the lead. Larsen ended the game 4-for-11.

“Davidson really has no shot blockers and they blocked five shots tonight,” Lonergan said. “I just feel we were going up weak and trying to draw fouls, we’re not real athletic but when you get an offensive rebound you’ve got to bend your knees and you’ve got to go up and score and we weren’t doing that.”

The two teams went back and forth through 12 lead changes in the first half. Primarily guarded by Watanabe, Gibbs was held to 12 points, five of which came at the end of the half with Watanabe on the bench and helped Davidson go into the lockers up 42-39.

Davidson inched the lead up to seven midway through the second half, but Garino responded. He deployed his best weapons, finishing drives with his signature up-and-under move, splashing his threes through the net with so much arc the ball barely touched the strings.

Garino scored 12 of GW’s 14 points over a stretch from the 14:05 to 10:56 marks in the second quarter – the other two came from a Watanabe dunk facilitated by a steal and assist from Garino. But Gibbs was right with him, and as the game wore on, Watanabe and Garino struggled to keep up with his deadly combination of speed and strength. Garino, who fouled out late in the second half, struggled when he had to be less aggressive.

“We put our best on their best and we lost that battle,” Lonergan said. “He just had us on ice skates and had his way with us.”

It didn’t help GW’s cause that the Colonials went 14-for-22 from the free throw line in the game, and missed first shots on a number of one-and-one opportunities.

But, as it has in most of the games that have chipped away at GW’s case for an NCAA Tournament bid, the Colonials just couldn’t stop the other team from scoring.

“It’s really tough for even us to figure out why we’re not doing, regularly, what we’re supposed to do defensively,” Garino said. “I think it’s mostly focus.”

They don’t have much time to figure it out. GW is the No. 5 seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. With a first-round bye, the Colonials begin the postseason Thursday.

“We just need to win,” Watanabe said. “I hate losing more than anything.”

More to Discover
Donate to The GW Hatchet