Who: Women’s basketball
Where: Smith Center, Washington, D.C.
When: Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
Women’s basketball hosts Duquesne Wednesday in GW’s final home game of the regular season.
The contest marks the second time this season the Colonials (10-17, 7-7 A-10) have faced the Dukes (15-12, 9-5 A-10). In the teams’ last matchup, the Colonials bested Duquesne in a tightly contested 55–54 nail-biter.
The Dukes enter the contest on a three-game win streak, most recently defeating conference-leading VCU 71–68 Saturday.
Case for the Colonials:
If GW wants to win its final regular-season home game, the name of the game has to be defense. The last time they took on Duquesne, the Colonials’ defense was airtight in the first half of play and they held the Dukes to just five made field goals in the frame while their offense sank double the amount of shots as their opponent in the same span. If the Colonials can bring that same high-intensity defense Wednesday, they should be able to mitigate Duquesne’s strong offense.
Early in the season, the Colonials relied on one or two players to provide the bulk of their offense. But lately, players up and down the roster have proven themselves capable of having double-digit performances any night. Freshman center Kayla Mokwuah has been good for an average of 12.8 points per game in GW’s last five contests, while senior forward Kelsi Mahoney has scored at least 12 points in the last three games.
Point production from deep in the roster will prove essential for GW against the Dukes if senior guard Mei-Lyn Bautista – who was sidelined with a possible concussion Sunday – continues to sit out. The Colonials will have to step up to compensate for her absence, as Bautista contributed an average of 3.6 assists and 1.4 swipes in the five games prior to her possible injury.
If the Colonials can spread out their scoring in the upcoming match, they should be better prepared to counteract Duquesne’s offense. The Dukes are averaging 64.1 points per game compared to GW’s 51.4 point per game average.
Case for the Dukes:
While GW did defeat Duquesne in the teams’ last matchup, the key to the Colonials’ victory – Bautista – was sidelined Sunday against St. Bonaventure. Her 20-point performance, complete with three rebounds, three assists and three steals, was instrumental in allowing GW to edge past the Dukes, who very nearly took the game after roaring back from a slow start with a 31-point fourth quarter. If Bautista remains out of the lineup, Duquesne likely would have won that match, and will potentially have a much clearer path to victory in the upcoming one.
The Dukes have been much more consistent and effective offensively than the Colonials over the course of the season.They average more than 60 points per game and have been more efficient from the floor, shooting at a 38.5 percent clip from the floor compared to GW’s 34.9 percent shooting average.
Duquesne has also fared better against opponents that have bested GW, another testament to the team’s offensive durability. The Dukes earned on of their most decisive victories in a 84-57 defeat of Dayton earlier this season, while the Colonials fell 62–53 to the same team.
If the Dukes come out firing from the tip unlike they did in the last contest, they should be able to overwhelm the Colonials on the offensive end of the court.
Bottom line:
Considering their season-long offensive standard, the Dukes hold the edge over the Colonials heading into Wednesday’s match, and score nearly 13 more points per contest than GW. But GW has shown signs of improvement on offense in its last two games.
If the Colonials can sustain their current level of production, they might be able to keep pace with Duquesne. But with the Dukes hot off a win over the best team in the conference and GW possibly without one of its key players, earning a second win against Duquesne will be a tall order for the Colonials.
