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 Head coach Joe McKeown looks for win number 400 versus La Salle. |
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Women's Basketball Preview: La Salle at GW (1-31-04)
Jan. 30, 2004
Game at a Glance
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2004
Time: 4:00 p.m. EST
Arena (Capacity): Smith Center (5,000)
Place: Washington, DC
George Washington (Streak): 13-5, 6-1 (Won 5)
Home Record: 6-3
Last Game: Won 88-71 vs. Duquesne, 1/29/04
La Salle (Streak): 10-8, 3-5 (Won 2)
Road Record: 2-4
Last Game: Won 81-73 vs. Rhode Island, 1/29/04
Series: GW leads 20-1
Last Meeting: GW won 85-72 at La Salle, 1/18/04
Broadcast: Internet Radio: www.gwradio.com with Charlie Beattie and Dan Schneiderman
Coming Up: GW will wait almost a week before hosting Fordham on Friday, February 6 at 6:00 p.m.
Quick Notes
George Washington will look to secure head coach Joe McKeown's 400th victory when the Atlantic 10 West's first-place and fifth-place teams meet this evening. It seems probable that coach McKeown will reach that milestone considering GW has only lost once to La Salle during the 23-year series between the two schools, winning every game since the inital meeting on December 28, 1981. (See GW-La Salle Game Notes for more information on coach McKeown's history.)
The Colonials were victorious in the first meeting between the teams this season, an 85-72 victory in Philadelphia, just two weeks ago. Cathy Joens led all scorers with 27, while Valerie Williams established a career high with 19 points. La Salle forward Kat Foley went on a late scoring spree and finished the game with 24 points. Since then, GW has won two-in-a-row over St. Bonaventure and Duquesne, while La Salle has gone 2-1 with victories over Richmond and Rhode Island and a loss to Saint Joseph's.
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Recently, the key for the Colonials has been their ability to win the rebounding statistic. During their current five-game win streak, GW has outrebounded their opponents each game and holds a +1.1 rebounding margin for the season. If the Colonials can keep La Salle off of the offensive glass, while producing extra possessions with offensive rebounds of their own, GW's hot shooting should make them difficult to beat.
The Colonials won their fifth straight on Thursday, January 29 with an 88-71 victory over Duquesne. Cathy Joens established a season high with 32 points, while Anna Montaņana came up one assist shy of a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. GW shot 52 percent (31-60) from the field, including 70 percent (16-23) during the second half.
La Salle is coming off of an 81-73 victory over Rhode Island on Thursday, January 29. Crista Ricketts was one of four Explorers in double figures and finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. Kat Foley added 16 points on 6-10 shooting. La Salle shot 51 percent (27-53) from the field, while holding the Rams to 40 percent (29-72).
Probable Starters
George Washington
Cathy Joens, G, 19.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.7 apg
Marsheik Witherspoon, G, 5.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.8 apg
Ugo Oha, C, 14.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.7 blocks
Anna Montaņana, F, 12.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 5.3 apg
Liz Dancause, F, 3.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.2 apg
La Salle
Crista Ricketts, F, 12.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 0.7 apg
Kat Foley, F, 7.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.1 apg
Meghan Wilkinson, G, 8.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 apg
Jill Marano, G, 14.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.0 apg
Davineia Payne, G, 7.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.7 apg
Storylines
McKeown Goes For 400
Coach Joe McKeown has knocked down a few records in the past year, setting the bar for victories in conference with 184, making him the winningest coach in Atlantic 10 history. McKeown also passed former Rutgers head coach Theresa Grentz (293 victories) as the Atlantic 10's winningest coach in overall play (conference and non-conference) with 327 wins in his career at GW. Now McKeown approaches another milestone, his 400th career victory. Entering the 2003-04 season, the 17-year coach owned an overall record of 386-137. With a victory this evening, McKeown will add another chapter to his outstanding career. (See GW-La Salle Game Notes for more information on coach McKeown's history.)
Tops In the Nation
Guard Cathy Joens is looking like the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year as GW moves through conference play, averaging 19.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. She is one of only three players in the country to be averaging over 18 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game. Joens has complimented her strong offensive work with great defense, as she is averaging 2 steals per game as well. If she continues to mix her scoring talent with an excellent floor game, she will be even more dangerous than she was last season.
Atop the A-10
The Colonials have dominated the Atlantic 10 in recent history, and this year seems to be no different, when you look at the statistics from conference games. GW currently leads the conference in nine categories, including the all-imporant field goal percentage offense (.492) and field goal percentage defense (.356) categories. The Colonials are scoring the most out of any team at 75.7 points per game, thanks to their willingness to share the ball (19.3 assists per game). They've also been taking care of the ball and are leading the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.26.
R-E, R-E-B, R-E-B-O-U-N-D, REBOUND
After struggling early in the season to win the battle of the boards, the Colonials are now averaging more rebounds than their opponent. Not coincidentally, GW is also on a five-game winning streak. During the five games, the Colonials have outrebounded their opponents by a margin of 7.6 rebounds per contest. GW has done a great job of holding teams to one shot and currently leads the Atlantic 10 in defensive rebounding at 30 per game.
Sweet Home Smith Center
The Colonials have been notoriously strong over the past few seasons playing in the friendly confines of Smith Center. They are currently 6-3 on the season, which is uncommon since you have to go all the way back to the 1997-98 season to find a Colonials team that lost more than two games on their own court. GW hadn't lost a conference home game since 1999, before dropping their conference opener to Saint Joseph's on Saturday, January 10, but they got back on track by shooting 64 percent in a decisive victory over Richmond on January 16. They have won their last two home games and with a win tonight, plus a win at home versus Fordham, next Friday, GW will be on its way to re-establishing the dominance they have enjoyed at Smith Center.
