By Khush Wadhwa
Chris Caputo’s Revolutionaries rallied at home against the Richmond Spiders, earning an 85-69 win thanks to a first-half barrage of three-pointers and a strong defensive performance.
The Revolutionaries entered their Saturday matchup against Richmond having lost two consecutive games for the first time this season, with losses to the Davidson Wildcats and the George Mason Patriots. Richmond had also lost their last two, most recently to Rhode Island at home.
The Revs opened up with six points in under a minute thanks to a pair of threes. GW would continue to shoot well from beyond the arc throughout the first half, netting five of their first six attempts from beyond the arc. Richmond also concentrated on shooting three-pointers, with the Revs’ tight defense forcing the Spiders to use up a majority of their shot clock and take deep shots, which accounted for all nine of their points within the first nine minutes of play.
GW guard Christian Jones flexed his three-point shooting early, netting three of his four three-point attempts in less than seven minutes on the court. Jones finished the half with 12 points, with fellow guards Jean Aranguren and Tre Dinkins contributing nine points apiece to a dominant first-half offensive showcase from the Revs. GW scored 52 points and netted 10 threes in the first, just eight away from the program record set on New Year’s Eve against Richmond.
That three-point performance was a welcome refresher for GW, which had experienced a momentary lapse in its scoring ability from deep since its loss to Davidson. “We’ve got a lot of shooters on this team, so we’re going to continue to make those extra plays,” Dinkins said in the post-match press conference.
The Revs began the second half right where they left off, with two three-pointers from guard Garrett Johnson and another from Dinkins. Both offenses slowed down midway through the second half, with GW playing three minutes of scoreless basketball. Johnson then kicked the team back into rhythm with a three-point basket. Both the Spiders and the Revs remained neck-and-neck in terms of scoring in the second half, allowing the Revs to maintain a double-digit lead throughout. However, GW’s guards struggled to match their first-half production from beyond the arc, knocking down just five of 14 attempts in the second half and failing to break their three-point shooting record.
All things considered, the second half was relatively comfortable for GW, who rode their way to victory thanks to a solid defensive performance where the Revs limited the Spiders’ three-point shooting. Caputo praised the defense, noting that his men have worked to “tighten the gaps” defensively. “That has helped us build out a better foundation,” Caputo said.
As they prepare to travel to their next game against a nationally-ranked Saint Louis squad, Caputo is optimistic that his team can compete against the top of the league. “I think if we can have a consistent emotional approach to these games, like physically, discipline, focus, and communication, we should be in a good position almost every night,” Caputo said.
Saturday’s game also featured alumni of the Foghorns, who returned to GW’s band section to cheer on the team. Their chants from the East stand echoed loudly, contributing to a lively Smith Center atmosphere.
The Revolutionaries will suit up next on Tuesday to play St. Louis away. The game will be viewable on ESPN+.
