Photo Credit: Mitchell Layton
By: Abe Rothstein (@RothsteinAbe)
For the second straight game in this new season, George Washington overcame a slow first half and dominated after the break, beating Hampton 82-54 Friday night.
Both teams struggled shooting to start, combining for just 4-of-22 from the field. The Revolutionaries will look to improve their slow starts, which have caused concern for fans against seemingly weaker opponents.
Coach Chris Caputo cited several reasons for the sluggish beginning, including a lack of scouting on Hampton, which has a first-year head coach and played only one game this season, a victory over a Division II opponent. The film simply is not there.
Transfer Trey Moss made an early impact, opening the scoring for the Revolutionaries after a steal and layup.
The offense initially looked out of sync but settled down, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities. Rafael Castro has been impressive two games in, scoring in double digits for the second consecutive game, contributing on big defensive stops and exceeding expectations with his ability to pass.
Last season, Castro shot 47% from the free-throw line. In two games this season, he is a perfect 6-for-6.
“As you get more possessions in the half-court, you start seeing some patterns and can give some advice,” Caputo said.
The slow start could also be attributed to missed layups, keeping the game closer than expected.
“We just missed a couple of chippies at the rim,” Caputo said. “If we make those shots, we’re probably up 15.”
Despite the misses, the Revs returned to the locker room up 32-24 at halftime.
While rebounding was a challenge early on, GW improved from behind the arc, shooting 3-for-11 in the first half after missing all 12 attempts in the opener. Caputo isn’t concerned about the slow start, pointing to the injury of Garrett Johnson, one of the team’s best shooters, as a factor.
“It puts a lot of onus on a guy like Gerald [Drumgoole], who hasn’t shot well yet, but he shot 38% on 200 attempts last year, so we have a lot of faith in him,” Caputo said. “And we don’t have a lot of volume three-point shooters on the roster outside of those two guys, so that’s a work in progress.”
The younger players, specifically Trey Autry, Jacoi Hutchinson and Christian Jones, stepped up from beyond the arc, knocking down four of the team’s seven total three pointers.
Autry provided a crucial spark off the bench, finishing with a career-high 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including 2-for-4 from three-point range.
“I’m just happy to have a good support system, both from my teammates and coaches,” Autry said. “Whether the ball is going in or not, they always encourage me to keep shooting.”
Autry’s energy in the second half helped turn the game around as the Revs finished with six players in double figures, including redshirt freshman Christian Jones.
Jones, who finished with 11 points, four assists and four steals, justified his coaches’ faith in him after they predicted he would surprise people this season.
“The coaches trusted me all throughout my redshirt year,” Jones said. “They took a chance on me, and I’m just happy to show what I can do.”
GW came out strong in the second half, forcing turnovers and capitalizing on fast break opportunities. The Revolutionaries finished with 20 points off 15 turnovers and 17 points on the fast break.
Friday was the first time in over six years that six GW players finished in double figures.
Even the walk-ons got in on the action, as Amir Arrington hit a three-pointer, prompting an eruption from the Smith Center crowd.
Once again, GW did not make a mid-range shot in the game. After scoring only from the free-throw line, inside the paint and from three-point range in their season opener, that trend continued. They attempted just two mid-range shots—one by Darren Buchanan and another by Jones—but both missed.
In a game that once seemed close, the Revs pulled away in the second half and will look to continue their strong play (at least in the second halves) Tuesday against North Carolina A&T at the Smith Center. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The game will be broadcast live on WRGW and ESPN+.
Notable Stats:
– Buchanan: 10 points, 11 rebounds
– Autry: 14 points (career-high)
– Castro: 10 points, 5 rebounds
– Drumgoole: 13 points
– Jones: 11 points, 4 steals, 4 assists
– Hutchinson: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
– Moss: 7 points, 5 rebounds
– Points per possession: 1.12
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