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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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How the COVID-19 pandemic shook up men’s and women’s basketball seasons across A-10

Men’s and women’s basketball programs across the Atlantic 10 have faced a bumpy road.

Ten of the conference’s 14-member schools reported a positive COVID-19 test within its programs since the start of the season, leading to dozens of game cancellations and postponements. GW joined the ranks Friday when the athletic department confirmed a positive test result from a Tier 1 staff member in the men’s basketball program.

According to NCAA guidelines, Tier 1 members are individuals unable to wear face masks and maintain social distance at all times, which could include student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers and physical therapists, medical staff, equipment staff and officials. After a Tier 1 positive test, the NCAA recommends a 10-day quarantine and extensive contact tracing.

Here’s a look at how COVID-19 has impacted A-10 men’s and women’s basketball so far this season:

GW
Men’s basketball
The men’s basketball program reported one positive case among Tier 1 personnel, pausing all team activities Friday. The squad’s Saturday matchup with St. Bonaventure was delayed, and no decision has been made on further contests.

Games against Towson and South Carolina were canceled, and a contest with William and Mary was rescheduled due to COVID-19 concerns from the opposing programs.

Women’s basketball
No positive cases have been reported out of the women’s program, but it did postpone its Jan. 8 conference clash with Saint Louis due to COVID-related issues in the Billikens’ program.

Richmond
Men’s basketball
On Dec. 1, the Richmond athletic department canceled games against Charleston and Furman due to positive test results within the team. The Spiders’ season opener was also canceled over virus concerns on the opponent’s side.

Another game has been postponed after COVID-19 issues in Duquesne’s program.

Women’s basketball
One game has been canceled because of a positive COVID-19 test in the opposing program. On Dec. 12, the team announced a positive test result from within the program, canceling two nonconference games.

Saint Louis
Men’s basketball
The Billikens have suffered one of the worst outbreaks in the conference, postponing five games at the start of conference play. According to a statement from the athletic department, the program has paused all team activities until all personnel are cleared. The team previously canceled a game as the opposing team paused for coronavirus-related reasons.

Women’s basketball
The opener against Missouri was postponed due to COVID-19 issues in the Missouri program. The team played two games until it went on back-to-back pauses Dec. 8 and Dec. 30, respectively, putting off nine matchups as a result of positive tests.

Fordham
Men’s basketball
On Nov. 30, Fordham began a 14-day pause due to a Tier 1 case. The team missed its entire six-game nonconference slate as a result.

Women’s basketball
Head coach Stephanie Gaitley needed to quarantine for 14 days after coming into contact with a non-program member who later tested positive. The team canceled two games out of caution even though all results from Tier 1 personnel came back negative.

The team’s home opener was canceled due to a positive test in Manhattan’s program, and its Jan. 14 game against Saint Louis has been postponed.

Massachusetts
Men’s basketball
The men’s squad reported a positive test Nov. 17 and was forced to pull out of the Mohegan Sun Multiple Team Event. The program’s game against Saint Louis was canceled because of the Billiken’s pause.

Women’s basketball
The women’s program has not reported a positive test but had its Jan. 1 tussle with Saint Joseph’s postponed after the Hawks’ program paused.

VCU
Men’s basketball
One game against Davidson was postponed due to “COVID-19 protocols” within the Rams’ team. The Rams’ opening two games were canceled after Tennessee, the host of the Volunteer Classic Multiple Team Event, recorded a positive COVID-19 test in its program. The team’s matchup against LSU was also canceled because of virus concerns within the Tiger’s program.

Women’s basketball
No positive cases have been reported out of the women’s basketball program, and the Rams have yet to postpone or cancel a game.

Davidson
Men’s basketball
Davidson has yet to report a positive case out of the squad. The team’s matchups with VCU Jan. 2 and Saint Louis Jan. 15 were postponed over test results in the opposing programs.

Women’s basketball
The Wildcat’s game against Charlotte was canceled out of an “abundance of caution and COVID-19 contact tracing,” but there have been no confirmed positives within the program.

St. Bonaventure
Men’s basketball
A positive test in the Bonnies’ program kept the team from the Mohegan Sun Multiple Team Event to kick off the season. Two nonconference games were canceled and one contest was postponed after positive tests popped up among Tier 1 personnel in the opposing programs.

Women’s basketball
A positive test among Tier 1 personnel paused the team’s season Nov. 24. The Bonnies canceled their home opener and postponed their matchup with the Billikens over COVID-19 concerns on opposing teams.

Dayton
Men’s basketball
The Flyers have not recorded a positive case but did need to eliminate its exhibition game with Cedarville because of a positive COVID-19 test in Cedarville’s program.

Women’s basketball
Head coach Shauna Green tested positive for the virus prior to the start of the season and missed the team’s season opener. The Flyers canceled five nonconference games in December due to COVID-19 issues within the program.

La Salle
Men’s basketball
The Explorers have not reported a positive COVID-19 test, but their matchup with Saint Louis has been postponed because of the Billikens’ pause.

Women’s basketball
The squad’s matchup with Coppin State was canceled because of COVID-19 concerns, and its battle with Mount St. Mary’s was canceled due to the Mounts’ program pausing. Games against Drexel and Saint Joseph’s were postponed and rescheduled as both programs paused amid positive COVID-19 tests.

Rhode Island
Men’s basketball
No positive cases, cancellations or postponements have been reported out of the men’s basketball program.

Women’s basketball
The Rams have not reported a positive case this season. The team postponed its matchup with Saint Louis due to the Bilikens’ pause.

Duquesne
Men’s basketball
On Dec. 3, the program announced two positive tests among staff members. On Dec. 12, the team paused all activity after a positive Tier 1 test result. The pauses led to three cancellations and two postponements.

Women’s basketball
No positive cases have been reported in the program, but the team postponed its Jan. 1 matchup with Saint Louis amid the Billikens’ ongoing COVID issues.

George Mason
Men’s basketball
On Dec. 2, the Patriots paused all team activities due to a positive test within the program that resulted in five canceled nonconference games. The team’s Nov. 26 season opener against Northeastern was canceled after a cluster of COVID-19 cases kept the Huskies sidelined until mid-December.

Women’s basketball
The women’s squad has not recorded a positive COVID-19 case. But the Patriots did cancel a game with Georgetown and postpone a game with Saint Louis due to COVID-related issues in both programs.

Saint Joseph’s
Men’s basketball
The Hawks have needed to pause basketball activities for 14 days starting Nov. 29 after detecting a positive case among the team’s Tier 1 personnel. The pause postponed games against Bradley and Temple. The team’s matchup with Mount St. Mary’s was canceled after a positive test in the opposing program. The team’s rendezvous with Saint Louis was also postponed due to the Billikens’ COVID issues.

Women’s basketball
The women’s squad paused team activities twice, Nov. 21 and Dec. 30, after positive COVID-19 tests were reported. The Hawks also paused Dec. 16 for COVID-19 protocols involving a previous opponent. The squad has postponed four games so far this season amid COVID protocol.

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