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| Maurice Creek scored 17 points in the 1st half |
From our friends at GW Athletics Communications...
GW Men's Hoops Climbs to 10-1 With 74-61 Win Over UMBC
Creek, Savage, Larsen Lead Way to Colonials' Sixth Straight Home Victory
Graduate student Maurice Creek scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the first half to pace three double-digit scorers as GW men's basketball improved to 10-1 with a 74-61 victory over UMBC at the Charles E. Smith Center on Saturday.
GW's 10-1 start keeps pace with the 2005-06 season during which the Colonials won 26 of their opening 27 games. It also matches the 1992-93 season as the seventh-best start in the program's 100-season history, as well as equaling the second-best start for the program in the last 60 years.
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| Kevin Larsen added 14 points with 3 rebounds |
Creek made 9-of-16 field goals and 4-of-8 behind the arc, including 7-of-10 shots and three 3-pointers in the first half, en route to his 22 points. Sophomore Kethan Savage stuffed his line score with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, a game-high tying seven rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks, and classmate Kevin Larsen made 5-of-6 shots for 14 points.
GW never trailed and jumped out to a 10-2 lead after just 3:23 elapsed behind eight points from Creek on a pair of threes and a steal for a fast-break layup. UMBC managed to pull within a possession of the lead twice over the next 10 minutes before a steal and three-point play from sophomore Joe McDonald ignited a 9-2 run for the Colonials' first double-digit advantage at 36-26 with 3:55 remaining in the period. GW shot a scorching 61.5 percent (16-26) over the opening 20 minutes, paced by Creek's 7-for-10 effort, but UMBC hit half its shots to trail, 42-34, at the break.
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| Nick Griffin (#5) puts GW up 42-32 late in 1st half |
The Colonials scored the first 11 points out of the locker room, including Creek's fourth triple and the first of Savage's two dunks, for their largest lead of the game at 53-34 with 17:40 to play. The margin also peaked at 19 on a three-point play by Larsen that made it 62-43 at the 13:03 mark.
UMBC (3-9) tried to rally with a 13-4 run to trim its deficit to 10, 68-58, with 5:58 remaining, but GW allowed just one field goal the rest of the way to post its fifth straight victory overall and sixth consecutive win at the Smith Center.
The Retrievers were led by Brett Roseboro's 13 points off the bench and Rodney Elliott's 10 points and seven rebounds.
Senior Isaiah Armwood matched his season-high with four blocks to climb to a tie for eighth all-time in program history with 98 rejections in 41 games at GW. He has recorded at least two blocks in all 11 games this season and has at least one block in 13 straight games.
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| Happy Holidays from the First Ladies |
The win was GW's fifth over UMBC in six all-time meetings at the Smith Center, and was Coach Mike Lonergan's 12th in 16 tries against the Retrievers dating back to his six-year tenure at Vermont.
GW will enjoy a week off for the holiday before making its second of four trips to the New York City area this season next Saturday, Dec. 28 at Hofstra. Tip-off from the Mack Sports Complex is scheduled for 4 p.m., and fans and alumni are invited to attend a GW Alumni reception in the Hofstra Student Center Plaza Room beginning at 2 p.m.
Click here for yesterday's box score.
