By Zach Gindi-Chiafullo
GW (14-14) had a hefty opponent to face in a Richmond Spiders team (22-6) ranked third in the Atlantic 10.The Revolutionaries came away with an upset against Richmond, 57-54, in overtime.
“We fought, we made plays, and we needed to,” GW Head Coach Ganiyat Adeduntan said, while feeling exhilarated after taking the victory and handing the Spiders their third straight loss.
Coach Adeduntan celebrates with the team after the win (Photo by Greg Fiume)
Coming off a tough defeat against La Salle at home on Saturday, the Revolutionaries spent the week making preparations for the local rivalry.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our team right now,” Adeduntan said. The coach mentioned the team had a film session after the La Salle loss, expressing her disappointment. “We worked ourselves into being a team that gives maximum effort, and a team that just doesn’t quit. Despite the outcome, we’re still resilient.”
In a game that was so back and forth, several players had the chance to contribute to the team. The most notable example being Gabby Reynolds, who registered 22 points on the night, tied for her second-highest point total of the season.
“I think it was just kind of knowing my shots and not hesitating when I got to my spots,” Reynolds said. “I think there have been times when sometimes my stop just isn’t falling, which isn’t ideal, but I think today just being able to get my rhythm.”
Other contributions came from Sara Lewis, who tallied nine points and seven rebounds, and Kamari Sims, who added eight points and two boards. However, the victory was a true team accomplishment.
Forward Maggie Doogan contributed 14 points for the Spiders and contributed on both sides of the ball down the stretch.
Richmond had a strong start to the first quarter with control of possession before GW went on a 7-0 run to close out the quarter. Entering the second, the Spiders put an emphasis on defense. However, the Revolutionaries came out of the half leading by 4.
The Spiders defense posed challenges, winning the turnover margin and turning GW’s mistakes into easy points. “I kept reminding them that it’s not a 10-minute game. It’s not a 20-minute game. It’s not a 30. It’s not a 40-minute game,” said Adeduntan. It’s for however long it takes, and we gave everything that we had tonight.”
The Revolutionaries had a strong third quarter, outscoring Richmond 14-9, but the real action began in a wild fourth quarter.
Doogan hit a crucial three-pointer for the Spiders to push the lead and turn the game around, on their way to a 20-4 run over eight minutes.
Addressing the struggle, Adeduntan said, “We’ve got to get a stop. If we can kind of push and transition, give ourselves a better opportunity to not have to take the ball in bounds, and then they reset.” “If we run our place, the way we need to run it, find an open player, we’re going to get good looks. And then we just have to be confident and knock it down.”
Clutch free throws from Lewis and Reynolds with under 2:00 on the clock forced the game into overtime.
A chaotic final minute of the period was won by GW’s defense, with Emma Theodorsson picking off the Spiders and solidifying the win for the Revs.
“We wanted to make sure we were guarding and defending the three-point line and then being ready to help each other when they put the ball on the floor,” Adeduntan said. “We put ourselves in position, and it was all about just trying to finish the play, finish the play, finish the play, finish the game.”
Coming up, the Revolutionaries will face the George Mason Patriots this Saturday at 3 pm at EagleBank Arena.
