Coming off a tough loss to Duquesne and riding a four game losing streak, George Washington (7-10), led by a season high 26 points from point guard Armel Potter (pictured above), won the crosstown battle with George Mason (12-5) 73-67. The Colonials played one of the more complete games they have played all season, holding George Mason to 38 percent shooting from the field and 29 percent from deep which included holding the Patriots leading scorer Jordan miller to 3-11 shooting, while shooting 49 percent from the field and 47 percent from three point range.
Here are some takeaways from the game.
Armel Potter: was outstanding from start to finish in every aspect of the game, minus his five turnovers. Potter controlled tempo, found teammates in prime scoring position and attacked the Patriots guards off the bounce relentlessly (12-15 FT). The result was a 26 points, 7 assists, 6 rebound performance and George Washington win. When Potter is aggressive, GW is an entirely different team.
AJ Wilson:
impact was felt on both ends throughout the contest. Wilson showed off his improved mid range jumper while doing what he's always done to score points, slash to the basket and crash the offensive boards. Defensively, his high motor and athleticism was a sight to see, as he ran down and rotated over to help block and alter numerous shots inside the paint from the Colonials. Wilson finished with a team high 18 points, 11 rebounds and a game high 5 blocks in the loss.
Three point shooting: was the difference in the game and has been for much of the season for George Washington. When GW shoots well from three point territory and defend well, they win, it's that simple. In tonight's win over George Mason, they did well in both areas. Led by freshman sniper Jamison Battle's 5-8 shooting from deep, the Colonials shot 47 percent from three for the game while holding George Mason to 29 percent shooting. In George Washington's last win against Longwood, the Colonials shot 45 percent from deep. They live and die with three point shooting. Expect this trend to continue.
Chase Paar:
is improving game by game. His blend of size (6'9), skill and underrated athleticism makes him a promising player and one with All Conference potential. You see it in spurts already. Paar had an efficient performance, posting 7 points and a team high 9 rebounds on 3-5 shooting. His solid pick & roll defense and clutch rebounding were huge in GW holding off a late rally from George Mason. Paar offers consistency in the front court that went away when Arnaldo Toro went down with an injury. If the Colonials are to stay on a winning track for the remainder of the season, Paar will be a big reason for it.
Offurum/ Walker Impact off the bench:
was the spark GW needed to get and extend a comfortable lead in tonight's win. Freshman guard Shawn Walker Jr (Bottom Photo) made great decisions and seized his opportunities to score when they presented themselves instead of trying to force things to happen. He let the game come to him. Walker Jr posted 6 points and didn't miss a shot. Sophomore forward Mezie Offurum (Top Photo) bounced back from a rough game against Duquesne with a 7 point, 2 rebound and 2 block performance to help pace the Colonials in tonight's win. Offurum looked close to having his rhythm back from a mid season injury and GW looked like a completely different team. He knocked down turn around jumpers from the post, finished strong in traffic, and was solid defensively. I feel Offurum is the most versatile player on the team and when he's aggressive, he utilizes all of his skills and GW is better for it. That's the key for Offurum, not being passive moving forward.
George Washington will hit the road to take on Massachusetts, Saturday, at 4:30 p.m.