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 Cathy Joens will try and lead GW to their second consecutive A-10 Championship. |
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Women's Basketball Preview: GW vs. La Salle (3-6-04)
March 5, 2004
Game at a Glance
Date: Saturday, March 6, 2004
Time: 12:00 p.m. EST
Arena (Capacity): Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse (3,200)
Place: Philadelphia, PA
George Washington (Streak): 21-6, 14-2 (Won 2)
Neutral Site Record: 1-1
Last Game: Won 61-52 vs. Temple, 2/29/04
La Salle (Streak): 15-12, 7-9 (Won 1)
Neutral Site Record: 1-1
Last Game: Defeated St. Bonaventure in the A-10 Tourney's first round, 3/5/04
Series: GW leads 21-1
Last Meeting: GW won the last meeting 81-64 at La Salle, 1/31/04
Broadcast: Internet Radio: www.gwradio.com with Sam Farber and Michael Berger
Coming Up: GW will try and advance to play the winner of Saint Joseph's and Duquesne on Sunday, March 7 at 2:00 p.m.
Probable Starters
George Washington
Cathy Joens, G, 20.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.3 apg
Marsheik Witherspoon, G, 4.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.4 apg
Ugo Oha, C, 13.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.4 blocks
Anna Montaņana, F, 12.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 5.6 apg
Valerie Williams, F, 9.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.3 apg
La Salle
Crista Ricketts, F, 14.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.9 apg
Ekaterina Markova, F, 3.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.4 apg
Jill Marano, G, 12.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.0 apg
Meghan Wilkinson, G, 8.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.8 apg
Davineia Payne, G, 8.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.8 apg
Storylines
It's Nice to Be Appreciated
GW received plenty of accolades during the preseason, but it is the play on the court that matters most. Thus, the Atlantic 10 rewarded many of the Colonials for their outstanding seasons. GW placed two players on the all-conference first team and one on the second team, while securing the Co-Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year awards. Just looking at that list makes you realize how versatile the Colonials have been during the 2003-04 season and why they will be such a tough out in both the Atlantic 10 Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
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Atlantic 10 Honors
Co-Player of the Year - Cathy Joens
Defensive Player of the Year - Ugo Oha
Sixth Player of the Year - Valerie Williams
All-Conference First Team - Cathy Joens, Anna Montaņana
All-Conference Second Team - Ugo Oha
Student-Athlete of the Year - Cathy Joens
You Will Be Missed
The Colonials said good bye to five players, Cathy Joens, Ugo Oha, Demetria Tipps, Valerie Williams and Marsheik Witherspoon, during the 2004 edition of senior day. This group has been to two NCAA Tournaments, a Women's NIT and won three Atlantic 10 West titles, including the overall championship last season. As a whole, they are currently scoring 68 percent of the teams points led by Cathy Joens, who should finish her GW career second on the all-time scoring list. While this group will be sorely missed, their work at GW is not finished with the Atlantic 10 Tournament and a probable NCAA bid yet to come.
20 Wins...Isn't That What You Expected?
The Colonials reached 20 wins for the 13th time out of the last 14 seasons with a victory over Massachusetts on Thursday, February 26, a 19-win season in 1999 being the only time they didn't reach the 20-win plateau. The only teams that even come close to matching the Colonials dominance over that span are Saint Joseph's with six 20-win seasons and Xavier with five. GW reached 28 wins, along with an undefeated season in the league, during the 1996-97 season, posted 26 wins three times and 25 wins twice.
In the Nation
The Colonials, as a team and individually, have taken their place among the countries best programs. They are currently 26th in winning percentage (77.8), 17th in assists per game (17.5), 19th in blocked shots per game (5.0), 22nd in field goal percentage (.455) and 13th in three-point field goal percentage (.376). On the individual side, Cathy Joens is 18th on the scoring list at 20.3 points per game, fourth in three-point field goals per game (3.4) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.453). Ugo Oha is seventh on the blocked shot s list at 3.4 blocks per game and Anna Montaņana is 26th in the country in assists at 5.6 per game.
It's All in the Defense
Most games are simple, score more than your opponent and you will be successful. Part of that is keeping your opponent from scoring, which GW did a great job of this season. In 18 of their 27 games, the Colonials held the opposition under 40 percent shooting, including 12 games under 35 percent shooting. They also held teams to less than 55 points 10 times. For a team that shoots over 45 percent from the field, it has been their commitment to defense that has brought head coach Joe McKeown another 20-win season.
