In a highly competitive contest that took regulation and two overtimes to decide, George Washington, thanks to big time performances from their lethal backcourt of Brendan Adams and James Bishop, along with huge contributions, especially on the boards, from Ricky Lindo Jr and Max Edwards, held off a game Richmond Spiders team 107-105.
GW, despite being outscored 34-2 in bench scoring, won the battle on the boards 44-31 and dished out 22 assists to Richmond's 16, while also shooting 55 percent from the field and 48 percent from deep.
Adams led the way for the Colonials with a game high 35 points and 6 assists, Bishop was right behind him with 33 points and a game high 10 assists. Ricky Lindo Jr posted 18 points and 13 rebounds while Max Edwards added 11 points and career high 16 rebounds, tying the late George Washington standout center Yinka Dare for the school record 15 defensive rebounds.
Richmond's 6'9 forward Matt Grace posted a team high 28 points and 5 rebounds on 10-17 shooting from the field and 5-9 shooting from deep. 6'7 reserve forward Isaiah Bigelow added 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals while Tyler Burton chipped in 15 points and 6 rebounds.
TAKEAWAYS:
George Washington’s Dynamic Duo:
of Brendan Adams (Pictured Above) and James Bishop was truly SPECIAL in the Colonials victory over the Spiders. While only sitting out a combined six minutes of the game, the soon to be All A-10 tandem elevated their games to levels not seen in the Smith Center in a while by a duo. Their impact on both ends were off the charts. Adams scored 30 of his 35 points over the second half and both overtimes on 10-12 shooting from the field and 8 - 9 shooting from three point range, setting the single game record for 3-pointers with nine. It was obvious that Adams wanted to make amends for his performance in an ugly loss to Duquesne and he did that and then some.
Bishop was nearly equal offensively, however he got the job done the old fashion way, getting in the paint and scoring at the basket. Bishop scored 23 of his 33 points over the second half and two overtime periods on an efficient 8-16 shooting from the field WHILE handing out a game high 10 assists. Bishop used his shifty handle to create space and to keep the Spiders out of position throughout the game.
The pressure applied from Bishop and Adams became their defense against Richmonds backcourt. The result? The Spiders backcourt of Dji Bailey and Andre Gustavson fouled out combining for 15 points and 3 assists.
This performance from Adams and Bishop is definitely one that will be highlighted in the GW Men's Basketball history books for years and years to come.
Matt Grace:
nearly won the game for Richmond himself with high level scoring from all three levels on the floor. Grace scored 23 of his 28 points ( 8-12 from the field) over the second half and both overtimes, constantly hitting big shot after big shot to keep Richmond within striking distances to potentially pull off a much needed road victory. The 6'9 grace kept George Washington's defenders off balanced, by using his efficient deep shooting to open up lanes to drive to the basket and get to the free throw line. If defenders didn't take away airspace, he shot from outside. If they closed out hard, Grace pumped fake and drove right by them and scored. It was a master class in playing chess to get the job done and as a result, he had GW on their heels throughout the last 30 minutes of the contest.
Colonial Forwards:
were the x-factor in the this game and the reason why the Colonials held on for the win. Ricky Lindo Jr and Max Edwards combined for 29 points and 29 rebounds, managed to stay on the floor and not foul out WHILE weathering the storm offensively from an unconscious Matt Grace and efficient Isaiah Bigelow. Lindo Jr and Edwards did the dirty work defensively and produced offensively enough to overcome the large gap in bench production. This was a will game and they stood strong while playing nearly the entire game to help the Colonials win.
