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| Joe McDonald led GW with 19 points |
From our friends at GW Athletics...
McDonald's Clutch Game-Winner Lifts GW Men's Hoops Past Dayton in Overtime
Junior Guard's Put-back at the Buzzer Propels Colonials to 65-64 Victory
Junior Joe McDonald scored a game- and season-high 19 points, including the game-winning put-back as time expired in overtime, to lift GW men's basketball to a thrilling and critical 65-64 Atlantic 10 victory over Dayton at the Charles E. Smith Center on Friday.
The victory pulled GW (17-6, 7-3) into a tie for third in the A-10 standings with Dayton (17-5, 7-3) and extended its home win streak to 12 consecutive games while remaining a perfect 10-0 at the Smith Center this season.
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| Senior John Kopriva slams it home |
The Colonials have won 25 of their last 26 home games dating back to their 2012-13 regular-season finale, also a buzzer-beating overtime victory over the Flyers.
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| Patricio Garino added 13 points & 4 steals |
McDonald hit three 3-pointers and 8-of-13 shots from the field to lead three double-digit scorers for GW. Junior Patricio Garino provided 13 points and a game-high four steals, while classmate Kevin Larsen added 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists against zero turnovers and consistent double teams. Junior Kethan Savage added nine points and six boards in a team-high 41 minutes.
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| Kethan Savage (9 points, 6 rebounds) |
Four of McDonald's 19 points came in the extra session, including a driving basket as part of six unanswered points to start overtime to give GW a 62-56 lead. Dayton responded with a 7-1 run capped by a Kyle Davis three with 12.9 seconds left for the game's seventh lead change at 64-63.
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| Kevin Larsen (#21) led GW with 8 rebounds |
After bringing the ball up court, GW called timeout with 6.6 seconds left to draw up a play. Out of the stoppage, Savage drove down the right side of the lane and hoisted a shot with 1.5 ticks showing, but it was blocked away by UD's Dyshawn Pierre. The loose ball fell to a crashing McDonald, who banked in a shot as time expired and was promptly joined by teammates and the Colonial Army on the baseline to celebrate another thrilling finish against Dayton and GW's second overtime victory in its last seven games.
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| Great team spirit |
The first half was defined by three distinct runs - a 9-2 start by the Colonials, 14 straight points from the Flyers, then a 15-5 spurt that put the Colonials ahead 24-21 at halftime.
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| Even better team spirit! |
GW grabbed the largest margin of the night at 48-40 with 6:45 left in regulation after a 12-3 run powered by triples from freshman Yuta Watanabe, McDonald and Larsen. The Colonials led 52-45 with 4:49 remaining and by two with less than a minute to play until Flyers' guard Jordan Sibert evened the contest for the fifth time with 38 seconds left. Neither team could convert on its final possession.
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| Dayton head coach Archie Miller addresses his team |
Sibert scored 17 points to pace Dayton, which dropped its third consecutive road game. Kendall Pollard chipped in 14 points and both Pierre and Davis added 13.
GW returns to the road on Wednesday at Duquesne. The 7 p.m. contest will be broadcast regionally by the A-10 Network on MASN2 and SNY.
Click here for last night's box score.
