Weather
Current Conditions
In Washington, DC
P/SUNNY
Temp: 63
Wind: 7 NNW
 |
|
 |
 Coach Joe McKeown will be honored before tonight's game for securing his 400th victory. |
 |
Women's Basketball Preview: Fordham at GW (2-6-04)
Feb. 6, 2004
Game at a Glance
Date: Friday, February 6, 2004
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Arena (Capacity): Smith Center (5,000)
Place: Washington, DC
George Washington (Streak): 14-5, 7-1 (Won 6)
Home Record: 7-3
Last Game: Won 81-64 vs. La Salle, 1/31/04
Fordham (Streak): 11-8, 4-4 (Won 2)
Road Record: 4-6
Last Game: Won 61-45 at UMass, 2/1/04
Series: GW leads 8-0
Last Meeting: GW won 72-59 at Fordham, 1/15/03
Broadcast: Internet Radio: www.gwradio.com with Anthony Moniello and Ari Ashe
Coming Up: GW travels to Richmond for a 2:00 p.m. game on Sunday, February 8.
Quick Notes
George Washington will look to extend their six-game winning streak when they take on the Fordham Rams this evening at Smith Center. The Colonials have dominated the series versus Fordham, having never lost during the eight-year series. GW will play the third game of a three-game home stand that has seen them re-establish their dominance in Foggy Bottom.
Fordham is a much improved program under Jim Lewis. Before their 14-16 campaign last season, the Rams hadn't won more than six games since the 1996-97 season. At 11-8 overall and 4-4 in conference, Fordham is on the way to their best season since they went 19-10 in 1995.
If the Rams want to end their losing streak to the Colonials, they are going to have to score more than they have recently. Although they won their past two, they only managed 61 and 50 points, respectively. Meanwhile, GW has been torching the nets, while scoring over 80 points in five of their last six games. The Colonials are now shooting 45 percent from the field, but the Rams have done a nice job, holding teams under 39 percent per game.
Last time out, the Colonials gave head coach Joe McKeown the 400th victory of his 18-year career, beating La Salle, 81-64. Junior Anna Montaņana finished the game with the second triple-doube in GW history and the first in the Atlantic 10 this season with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists. Senior Cathy Joens continued to dominate in conference play scoring 22 points. Ugo Oha had two blocks versus the Explorers, leaving her four shy of the school record.
|
|
|
Fordham won its second in a row on February 1, when they beat Massachusetts, 61-45. Monica Mack led the Rams with 18 points, including four three-pointers. Patricia Williams also had a solid game for Fordham, notching a double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Probable Starters
George Washington
Cathy Joens, G, 19.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.5 apg
Marsheik Witherspoon, G, 5.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.9 apg
Ugo Oha, C, 14.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.6 blocks
Anna Montaņana, F, 12.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 5.7 apg
Liz Dancause, F, 4.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.3 apg
Fordham
Beth Ann Dickinson, G, 13.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.1 apg
Monica Mack, G, 13.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.4 apg
Patricia Williams, G, 7.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.8 apg
Jada Jefferson, F, 3.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
Kyshawn Ruff, C, 4.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.3 blocks
Storylines
McKeown 41st to 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 332 wins in his career at GW. Now, McKeown is the 41st coach in Division I women's college basketball to reach 400-career victories. Entering the 2003-04 season, the 17-year coach owned an overall record of 386-137. With the win over La Salle on January 31, coach McKeown carved out his own piece of history in college athletics.
Paging Oscar Robertson
Junior Anna Montaņana is doing her best impression of probably the games best all-around player, Oscar Robertson. Montaņana finally secured the long-awaited triple-double she had been so close to over the past month, with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists versus La Salle on January 31. It was only the second triple-double in GW history, men's or women's. She is currently averaging 12.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists on the season and 12.3 points, nine rebounds and 6.8 assists in conference. But, it has been over the Colonials six-game winning streak where Montaņana has set herself apart. She is just shy of averaging a triple-double over that span at 12.2 points per game, 10.2 rebounds and eight assists.
Droppin' Dimes
With the number of weapons GW has in its arsenal, it's no doubt they are one of the most feared offenses in the Atlantic 10. They'd be difficult to guard if they played a lot of one-on-one, but they are that much tougher when they share the ball, which is exactly what they've been doing. In their game versus St. Bonaventure, GW tallied 19 assists on 27 field goals. For the season, they have totaled 335 assists on 521 field goals, a 64 percent clip. If they continue to share the ball, their field goal percentage will continue to climb, while the number of losses will continue to fall.
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 six-game winning streak. During the six games, the Colonials have outrebounded their opponents by a margin of 7.3 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 28 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 7-3 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 three home games and with a win tonight versus Fordham, GW will be on its way to re-establishing the dominance they have enjoyed at Smith Center.
