By Alden Detmer
The George Washington men’s basketball team (14-11) cruised to a win over the Rhode Island Rams (14-10) in a commanding home victory 75-70 Tuesday evening.
The Revolutionaries broke a four-game skid off a career-high 21 points from Luke Hunger. Garrett Johnson and Tyrone Marshall Jr. poured on more, scoring 17 and 15 points respectively.
“As soon as I knew [Rafael Castro] was going to be out, I knew I had to step up,” Hunger said. “My teammates believe in me. It comes from them. The coaches put me in a position to succeed. I believe in the basketball gods, and if you have good energy, I believe the basketball gods will reward you.”
After jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes, the Rams slowed down the game and forced GW to take tougher shots, leading to only a 14-9 Revs lead after the first 10 minutes of action. However, GW forced 7 steals in the first half alone, leading to an 11-4 run right before the halftime break.
Luke Hunger After Scoring (Photo by Greg Fiume)
“We stole the ball 11 times, which I think is really good for us,” GW men’s basketball coach Chris Caputo said. “They didn’t shoot a free throw in the first half, and I think they may be the best team in our league at getting to the free throw line. They made some good judgments in the second half, but we were able to kind of hang on and have the poise that you need.”
The visitors closed the gap early in the second period to 40-36 with a few well-timed threes from Rhode Island’s Tyler Cochran on an 8-0 run. With 15 minutes left to play, both teams battled in the paint and at the free throw line, with GW making 70% of their shots from the line. When asked about playing well in close games, Marshall Jr. said he often reflects upon his life-changing experience in the March Madness tournament for Western Kentucky University.
“I tell my teammates about it all the time,” Marshall Jr. said. “Man, we’re right there, we just need to get all of our puzzle pieces back and put them together. By the time the league tournament comes, it’s going to be a scary sight for whoever sees us in the first round.”
With a few minutes left, GW excelled defensively, forcing turnovers and using the whole shot clock every possession. The Revs finished 75-70 with Hunger garnering 36 minutes on the court.
“I think we’ve been tested tremendously,” Caputo said. “I told the guys, we’re one of only four teams that have played seven top 100 games away from home. In terms of the schedule, and then the injuries have tested us. I think guys have been hardened by those experiences and we are ready for February and March. My job is to keep their minds in the right place.”
The game also honored Dean’s List student-athletes at halftime. Over 83% of all student-athletes achieved a 3.0 GPA or better last fall.
“GW is not a place where we take those guys with one year left of eligibility, but they haven’t graduated yet,” Caputo said. “Instead, we attract [good students] because of the quality of our institution and who we are. We want to do our part by supporting that with the staff in the program.”
GW’s next test will be against cross-town rival George Mason on Friday.
