Following the only home loss of the season, the Colonials went on a 19-game winning streak that saw them climb into the national rankings, set records and all but ensure the fulfillment of head coach Jonathan Tsipis’ goal.
The Colonials, which had trailed for a total of two seconds in their previous game, erased a Dayton lead with a three from Jonquel Jones that sparked an 11-point run on the way to a 67-56 win at the Smith Center, the team’s 19th straight.
Coming off four straight wins by a double-digit margin and riding a 14-game winning streak, this year’s team looks like a contender for a conference championship, which yields an automatic bid, or an at-large selection from the tournament committee come March.
With a 6-foot-5 freshman averaging 11.4 points per game, a veteran guard returning to the floor from a costly injury and a 16.9 rebounding margin (second-best in the NCAA), GW has some new weapons in its arsenal to build on an 11-5 conference record last season. But with GW, and others, vying for the top spot, where will everyone fit?
Women’s basketball shot the lights out in a 99-45 exhibition defeat of Virginia Union (Division II) at the Smith Center on Sunday.
This year, now picked to finish second in the league, Tsipis is looking to push the once-underdog team from “so close” to the right side of the tournament bubble.
After impressive Colonials debuts for both players put them on the conference radar, Caira Washington and Jonquel Jones head into their second seasons together as the starting frontcourt for Tsipis.
Last fall, men’s water polo took a turn for the worse when it embarked on an annual California road trip. This year, the Colonials left for the trip hoping to turn their season around.
When Brian Mojica arrived at Foggy Bottom as a freshman water polo recruit, he said he didn’t quite feel like he belonged on the team.
Last year, the men’s water polo team scored more than 11 goals per game on the way to its most successful season since 2006. But GW will now have to change its philosophy after losing four key seniors who scored 41 percent of the team’s goals.