Photo credit: GW men’s basketball
By Cameron Mays (@cameronemays)
The Revolutionaries (5-1) exhilarating start to the season hit a bump against the University of Illinois Chicago, as a combination of fatigue and red-hot shooting from the Flames (5-1) ended GW’s undefeated start to the season, 89-79.
GW came into the game less than a day removed from a spectacular 99-94 double OT win against Ohio University. In the game three Revolutionaries scored over 20 points for the first time since at least 2010. Graduate guard James Bishop IV, redshirt freshman forward Darren Buchanan Jr., and redshirt sophomore guard Maximus Edwards each contributed over 20 in the win. While a victory is always a good thing, the unfortunate side effect of playing 10 extra minutes in a high intensity game when you have another game the next day is the fatigue that comes with it. This is especially a factor in how coaches and players can prepare for games in a MTE where there is short rest.
“You’re always trying to manage your ability to prepare guys on a quick turnaround while also saving their legs,” GW head coach Chris Caputo said. “And so multiple film sessions, combined with your meals, and then we did a walkthrough a little bit today.”
A concern with GW’s player management related to quick turnaround is how the bench would be used in the tournament. Until this contest Caputo had been playing a eight man rotation for most games. However, due to the short rest made even shorter by the first game, there was a question of how Caputo would substitute players. Sophomore guard Benny Schröder got more playing time than the previous games with 20 minutes, and graduate forward Antoine Smith Jr. got his first run of the season, but only for two minutes. Overall the rotation looked similar to the previous five games because that is what Caputo is most comfortable with.
“We were going to nine tonight. Could we stay at nine? Yeah maybe. It’s easier to play at eight but we can stay at nine,” Caputo said. “I thought everyone gave good minutes tonight, and we’re still developing the bench […] We’re certainly comfortable with eight and working on a ninth.”
Even with calculated efforts by the coaching staff, against a UIC team that blew out Middle Tennessee State by 30 and therefore got more rest, it was going to be tough for the Revs to remain undefeated. Despite the challenge, Caputo believed his guys faced the challenge well for most of the game.
“Do I think playing in the double overtime game, and the minutes guys played last night, affected us?” Caputo said about the extra effort his squad had to give last night. “Maybe in the first five to seven minutes of the game, but after that I thought we settled in.”
Unfortunately it was the first five to seven minutes where GW’s struggles put them in a hole that they never recovered from. The Flames started hot, with their main guys in sophomore guard CJ Jones, senior guard Isaiah Rivera, and junior forward Filip Skobalj all getting open looks early. On the night UIC shot an exceptional 50.8% from the floor and 40.6% from three.
The Revs battled back to get within one point at 10-9 at the 16:17 mark off scoring from Bishop and Edwards, but missed looks over the next couple minutes and more great offense from the Flames gave them a 25-11 lead with 12:52 left in the half.
GW continued to try and fight their way into the game, but UIC had an answer for every shot the Buff and Blue made. The Flames played tough defense that forced GW to take contested shots that they had trouble hitting all night.
“We had a hard time. They kind of stay with shooters, not a ton of drive and kick,” Caputo said about the GW offense. “We were able to get some cuts which were great, and James [Bishop] was able to create some action for himself and others. Jun [Buchanan] as well at times, although they backed off Jun and just made him play one-on-one in the post off his drives.”
Even with the pressure, the Revs fought the lead down to six in the closing minutes of the half, and it looked like they could make a run to go into halftime about even. Unfortunately the tired legs might have caught up with the team as extremely sloppy play and missed looks allowed UIC extra chances. The Flames extended their lead to nine after the first 20 minutes.
With redshirt freshman forward Garrett Johnson’s three to start the second half it looked like GW could make a run to tighten the game. UIC had other plans as back-to-back threes by Jones, and another three from senior guard Toby Okani pushed the Flames lead to a game-high 15 at the 18:17 mark.
Again the Revs looked like they might make several pushes throughout the half, but were stifled at almost every point because of an inability to get stops on the defensive end. UIC hit shot after shot from three, and continued to get bounces on drives and layups. Some suspect refereeing certainly did not help.
“We had a hard time standing them up on their drives. They had good positional guard size, were able to get into the paint and score,” Caputo said. “And we have to continue to work to do a little bit better there. We’ve been very good defensively in the first five games, we just weren’t as sharp today.”
One of the most bizarre moments of the night came at the 2:09 mark on a UIC free throw. Edwards, evidently upset about a missed blocked layup attempt seconds earlier, gave Flames sophomore guard Steven Clay a shove on the boxout. After review Edwards was given a flagrant two foul and ejected from the game. Was the shove flagrant? Probably. But was it worthy of an ejection? Absolutely not.
“Getting tangled up at the rim,” was what Caputo called it.
GW brought the lead to four even with Edwards out of the picture but never got closer. A few more quick buckets by Okani and Rivera put the game out of reach for good.
Looking to the final game in the tournament, the Revs will play in the third place game on Sunday against Delaware at 4:30 on FloHoops.
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