George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
#24 California
GW Men's Hoops Succumbs to #24 Cal, 81-54
11/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2011
GW Coach Lonergan Post-Game at #24 California (11/13/11) by user2595460
BERKELEY, Calif. - Despite 20 points from senior guard Tony Taylor, the George Washington men's basketball team surrendered a 35-7 run spanning the first and second halves in an 81-54 loss to nationally ranked No. 24 California in the Progressive CBE Classic before 6,709 at Haas Pavilion on Sunday night.
Taylor made 8-of-16 field goals, including three 3-pointers, the second of which gave GW (1-1) a brief one-point lead late in the first half in the ESPNU nationally televised game. However, Cal (2-0) scored 21 unanswered points to put the game out of reach by halftime.
"It was disappointing, it really was, but I'm glad we didn't pack it in in the second half after that run," said head coach Mike Lonergan. "It was really disappointing that we just didn't get our composure back the rest of that half, that was basically the game right there."
Golden Bears' guard Allen Crabbe made 5-of-8 threes and finished with 21 points to lead three double-digit scorers for the hosts. Justin Cobbs added 16, including 8-of-8 at the foul line, and Jorge Gutierrez added 15, including 10 in the first half, as Cal shot a red-hot 56 percent.
Sophomore Nemanja Mikic nailed four threes and was the only other Colonials' player in double figures with 12 points. GW got just five points on 2-of-15 shooting from its other three starters and only 10-of-33 shooting outside of Taylor and Mikic to finish at 38 percent for the night.
The contest featured three ties and six lead changes, all in the first half. Cal led by six early, but a 10-2 run with three-pointers from Taylor and Mikic gave GW a 16-14 edge with nine minutes left in the first half. Taylor then converted an off-balance three at the end of the shot clock to put the Colonials ahead 19-18 at the 6:23 mark.
That basket marked GW's last points of the half though as Cal ripped off a 21-0 run to grab a 39-19 lead at the break. The Colonials missed their final 11 shots to finish at 29.6 percent in the period, while the Golden Bears converted eight of their final nine attempts and shot 58 percent over the opening 20 minutes.
GW's span without a field goal stretched to the 17:08 mark of the second half when Taylor ended the more than 9-minute stretch with a 15-foot jumper to close to 46-22.
Taylor added his final three to make it 49-26, but Crabbe answered right back with his fourth triple of the night, followed by a Harper Kamp free throw for Cal's largest lead to that point at 53-26.
Mikic hit two of his four triples and freshman John Kopriva, who wore No. 42 after his regular No. 34 jersey was lost in the cross-country flight, completed a three-point play during an 11-1 run as the Colonials clawed back to within 61-45 with 6:05 left.
That forced a Golden Bears timeout, but Crabbe banked in a straight-on three-pointer and Gutierrez nailed a double-clutch jumper out of the stoppage to push the margin to 21 points at 68-47 entering the final media timeout.
The deficit stretched to its largest at 28 with 1:42 left. Freshman and southern California native Jonathan Davis converted a steal and transition dunk for his first collegiate points and Mikic buried his fourth triple in the final moments.
The Colonials now have a week to prepare for three games in as many days in Bowling Green, Ohio next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. GW begins the three-game stretch of the Progressive CBE Classic with Detriot at BGSU's new Stroh Center on Monday, Nov. 21, at 5 p.m. ET.
Taylor will likely become the 43rd Colonials' player to reach 1,000 career points in Bowling Green. He now has 980 career points after back-to-back 20-point performances to begin the season.
