By Scott Greaney (@ScottGreaney__)
Photo Credit GW Men’s Basketball
On the eve of the Army-Navy football annual classic in Landover, Maryland, men’s basketball caught fire from deep, knocking down 13 trifectas, to push themselves past Army in the Charles E. Smith Center Friday night.
Trey Moss, the redshirt junior transfer from William & Mary, powered the Revolutionaries to their second straight win with a season-high 19 points and 5 assists, tying his career high with four made three-pointers. Moss scored 13 of his 19 points in the first half, spurring the Revolutionaries to a six-point lead at the break despite offensive struggles from Darren Buchanan Jr.
“Aggressive, I thought he came out aggressive; he’s trying to find his way in a new style,” head coach Chris Caputo said. “We saw a lot of the play you saw today in the summer, so we’re glad to get it out of him today and hopefully going forward.”
Moss was one of four GW starters to finish in double digits. Rafael Castro had some home-cooking returning to the Smith Center, posting a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds after being kept out of double-digits since returning from the Virgin Islands.
“It definitely felt great,” Castro said. “Coming off those three games, something had to change—within me and as a team, and it worked.”
Following standout performances against Old Dominion, the highly anticipated bench duo of Christian Jones and Sean Hansen stayed hot, posting impressive plus-minuses of +20 and +10, respectively.
The Revolutionaries were able to keep Army’s high-paced offense, averaging nearly 84 points per game, at bay by racking up ten steals and scoring 22 points off Army’s 12 turnovers. After Friday’s contest, GW now averages a healthy 9.4 steals per game, which has them 24th in steal percentage per KenPom and 38th in steals per game in Divison I basketball. The Revolutionaries also now have four straight games with at least nine steals as a team.
Moss credited the team’s success on steals as a result of the emphasis in practice on attacking passing lanes, deflecting passes and “being a dog” on the defensive end.
Army’s offense was led by the three-headed monster of Jalen Rucker, Ryan Curry and Josh Scovens, all of whom were averaging over 13 points per game coming into Friday’s game. The Revolutionaries attacked the guard pair of Rucker and Curry, limiting them to just 24 points on 26% shooting from the field and 27% from three-point land.
“Two guys had to have bad nights, so we had to do a really good job,” Caputo said.“I knew it was going to be a challenge to defend well, but we did; I was most happy with the defensive effort.”
Army was able to march back into the game in the second half, going on a 14-6 run over the first six minutes of the second half to take a two-point lead at 43-41. During that stretch, Curry, a 47% three-point shooter on the season, drained a pair of threes, getting the many Army fans out of their seats.
Caputo said his team became too passive on switching screens during Army’s run, which allowed them to get off cleaner looks from deep as well as secure four offensive rebounds in that stretch.
Coming out of the second media timeout, the Revolutionaries fired back with a 14-2 run within five minutes to re-take the lead and get it up to a double-digit game. On that run, GW’s depth at the guard position boosted their scoring as Christian Jones, Jacoi Hutchinson and Moss each made a three-pointer during the GW run.
“We’re going to get some shooting from different guys,” Caputo said. “It’s not just always the same guy.”
Caputo also emphasized how opponents having to often double-team Darren Buchanan Jr. allows for more three-point shots from GW’s many guards.
Buchanan Jr. had a quieter night, finishing with 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. His lone three-pointer came in the final minute—a clutch shot for anyone sweating the spread.
Army continued to battle, cutting the Revolutionaries’ lead to a two-possession game by dominating the offensive glass. Ranked among the top 50 teams in rebounds per game with over 40 on average, Army grabbed 45 total rebounds, including 17 offensive. AJ Allenspach was particularly strong, posting a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, 6 of which came on the offensive end.
Following Friday night’s win, GW now finds themselves on a winning streak as non-conference play begins to close. The Revolutionaries will face off against another Patriot League opponent in Lafayette next Wednesday, December 18. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and WRGW Sports will have coverage.
On a more personal note, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to Coach Jimmy Patsos, one of the voices of GW men’s basketball, following the tragic loss of his wife at the age of 47. Losing a loved one is never easy, and I can only imagine the pain and heartbreak he and his family are experiencing during this incredibly difficult time. Coach Patsos has brought so much passion and insight to not just GW, but the entire basketball community, and my thoughts and prayers are with him.
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