Photo Credit: Greg Fiume
By: Solomon Cover
George Washington men’s basketball is back, kicking off the 2024-2025 campaign with a 76-59 victory over the Mercyhurst Lakers.
In their first game as a Division I program, Mercyhurst got off to a fast start, taking a 13 point lead early in the first half. The Lakers were getting out in transition and making difficult shots while GW failed to make a three the entire first half. Despite the shooting woes, GW seemed to find their rhythm with a little under 10 minutes left in the first half.
There was a clear effort around the midpoint of the first half to get the ball to redshirt junior forward Rafael Castro, who transferred in from Providence College and finished the game with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Despite the early deficit, the Revolutionaries were able to keep their cool.
“It’s a long game of runs, so one mistake is not going to cost us the whole game,” Castro said.
Head coach Chris Caputo said he was proud of how this team hung around despite the shooting woes.
“Now, hopefully we’re building a bit of that identity, and we continue to tell them everyday, get the ball to the rim,” Caputo said.
That plan to hang around worked as the Revolutionaries managed to tie the game up by halftime, and jump out to a solid lead pretty early in the second half.
Star forward Darren Buchanan Jr. was confident the entire time despite Mercyhurst refusing to go away.
“I knew we were going to win, just once everybody got settled in, it became pretty easy for us,” Buchanan Jr. said. “We got back into our defensive game plan.”
The game really took a turn in the second half on a hectic sequence when GW stole the ball, turned it over, and Mercyhurst had an open three-on-none opportunity at the rim. But transfer guard Trey Moss hustled back from half court and made a heroic stop which led to an open dunk for Castro that led to an explosion from the Foggy Bottom crowd.
Caputo applauded the steal and Moss’s hustle as a key play that turned the game around.
“I think with this group, you’re gonna see more of that,” Caputo said.
During the second half, shots finally started going in for the Revolutionaries, and Buchanan Jr.’s playmaking ability was on full display. He found Castro in the paint multiple times for some easy looks.
Castro commended the A-10 Preseason All-Conference Second Team forward.
“You gotta stop Jun. and then he’s going to dish it to me anytime,” Castro said.
Mercyhurst had an emphasis on defensive switching that GW sought to exploit in the Lakers’ first game as a Division 1 program.
“One of the things we thought we could do against them was go high-low against their switches,” Caputo said.
The slow-paced game become even more worrisome when Darren Buchanan Jr. went down with an apparent calf cramp with 12:30 left in the game. The crowd went silent as the fans contemplated the drastic turn their season could’ve taken. He said it was just a cramp though and, “Next time I’ll stand up so I can take the free throws.”
Guard Jacoi Hutchinson took just 3 shots the entire game, but Caputo was pleased with his performance.
“I thought Jacoi had good command, I thought he did a nice job.”
Caputo also expects Hutchinson to be featured more prominently in future games.
Buchanan Jr.’s veteran presence as just a sophomore was clear.
“I just knew there were a lot of jitters in the first game, I just told people to relax,” Buchanan Jr. said.
The Revolutionaries starting lineup featured three incoming transfers, Trey Moss from William and Mary, Gerald Drumgoole Jr. from Delaware and Rafael Castro from Providence. All three are expected to be key players in the rotation throughout the season. In addition, freshman Christian Jones played for 13 minutes as a secondary ball handler and Cornell transfer Sean Hansen played 20 minutes mostly at the center with Castro off the court.
Ty Bevins made his first collegiate basket on his first attempt from deep and provided solid minutes at the end of the game. Guard Trey Autry led the team with a plus-minus of 19 in just over 17 minutes of action.
GW ended up outscoring Mercyhurst by 17 in the second half, which was due to a dramatic increase in field goal percentage (32% in the first half to 57.1% in the second half) and outscoring Mercyhurst on second chance baskets 25-9.
Offensive rebounding and defense are set to be key parts of GW’s identity especially given the two new transfers in Hansen and Castro.
“I was most proud of the resilience, and I think the defense just hung in,” Caputo said.
The Revolutionaries will be back in action Friday against former Revolutionary Daniel Nixon and the Hampton Pirates. Hampton beat the Mid-Atlantic Christian Mustangs 110-53 in their season opener Monday night.
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