George Washington University Athletics
#25 Colonials are on the Road Against Rhode Island
1/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2006
WASHINGTON, DC - The #25 Colonials (11-4, 4-0) have won nine of their last 10 games this season and have won their last 10-straight against Rhode Island (5-10, 2-2). GW takes its undefeated conference record into Rhode Island's Ryan Center on Friday at noon for the 34th meeting between the teams. GW leads the series 29-4 and has not lost to the Rams since 1996. This is the Colonials first game of the season with a national ranking as they are now #25 in the AP and Coaches Polls.
The Colonials are on a five-game winning streak and have not been defeated since losing by five at North Carolina State on December 30th. The Colonials have not lost at home since December 7th when they were defeated by #1/1 Tennessee. Following that loss, GW won its next four in-a-row and the Colonials are on a eight-game home winning streak spanning more than a month.
GW is 5-0 in 2006 and at 4-0 the Colonials are the last remaining unbeaten team in the Atlantic 10. Rhode Island on the other hand is .500 in conference and 5-10 overall. The Rams lost at La Salle, 61-53, in their last conference game and are 0-2 versus the Explorers this season. Their two wins came against Xavier and Massachusetts. GW was also victorious versus Xavier in its last A-10 game on Sunday, 64-58. GW plays the Minutewomen on Sunday in their next conference clash.
The Colonials have the statistical edge over Rhode Island in almost every category. The Rams are shooting slightly better from behind the three-point line and from the foul line but the Colonials dominate in every other category. GW has played the eighth hardest strength of schedule and has an RPI of 12 compared to Rhode Island's 103 and 193 rankings. GW has a positive point margin of nine while Rhode Island averages more than six fewer points than their opponents per game. The Colonials also have a rebounding margin of more than two while the Rams our outrebounded by more than three each game. GW blocks almost five shots per game but URI has just more than one.
GW is on the road this weekend with games at Rhode Island and Massachusetts on Friday and Sunday. The Colonials do not return home to the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center until Friday, January 27 when they take on Fordham at 7:00 p.m. This is the first time that the Colonials have been ranked all season. GW upset then-No. 19 Temple last week and this Thursday night, the Owls upset No. 8 Rutgers.
