George Washington University Athletics
Winning Time
12/31/2018 1:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball, My GW: Celebrating our Stories
Justin Mazzulla made the winning plays down the stretch in GW’s victory over American
With the game on the line, Justin Mazzulla's instincts took over.
The GW guard spied the dwindling shot clock in the final minute of overtime Saturday against American and knew he had to get to the rim. And when he released the layup try, he realized right away his work wasn't done.
Mazzulla stuck with the play to poke home the rebound with his right hand, turning the miss into the bucket that put the Colonials ahead for good in a 71-67 OT win in its non-conference finale at Smith Center.
"Second-chance opportunities are the best opportunities," said Mazzulla, who scored 17 of his career-high 19 points after halftime. "I just took advantage of it and did what I had to do."
Long a reliable source for the type of hustle plays that can breathe life into a home crowd and sap an opponent's momentum, Mazzulla has stepped up his offensive contributions this season to become a more well-rounded floor general. The Rhode Island native showcased the full range of his talents against the crosstown Eagles, energizing GW with his scrappy play on both ends and scoring some clutch points down the stretch to ensure the Colonials head into Atlantic 10 play on a positive note.
Mazzulla totaled eight points in the five-minute overtime period, including a pair of clutch free throws with 12 seconds left, and also added five rebounds and three assists in a career-high 41 minutes. It was the type of gritty performance under pressure that head coach Maurice Joseph has come to expect from a guy he often calls "the heart and soul of our team."
"He's gained my trust from day one in terms of his will to compete and his competitive spirit," Joseph said. "No matter how he's shooting or what the score is, I know he's going to give 100 percent. That's reassuring as a coach to know that he's going to do everything he can to put our team in the best position to win the game."
Mazzulla showed his maturity to turn a tough start into a career-best scoring effort. The sophomore captain missed all six of his field goal attempts in the opening half, leading to a chat with Joseph about shot selection.
Out of the break, Mazzulla made a concerted effort to attack the rim and turned his day around. His highlights included a three-point play with six minutes to go, an acrobatic finish for GW's final basket of regulation and a 3-pointer in overtime.
"It's all about having a next-shot, next-shot, next-shot mentality," said Mazzulla, who finished 6-for-17 from the field. "I struggled with that the past couple of years, but now, I've got the confidence to look ahead to what's next because I'm not going to let my last shot affect my next one."
In the huddle before overtime, Joseph challenged his squad to make the "winning plays" necessary to get the job done.
Led by Mazzulla and Terry Nolan Jr., the Colonials responded, turning a three-point deficit with two minutes left into a four-point lead with seven straight points. That closing kick earned GW its third narrow victory in its past four home games.
"That's what A-10 play is like," Joseph said. "Every game is a fight, and you've got to make those plays down the stretch. That's what we were able to do tonight, and hopefully, that gave our guys a glimpse of the things that are necessary to win games."
Mazzulla's tip-in was part of the decisive run.
It was a play that illustrated Mazzulla's evolving game. After a summer of work on his strength and explosiveness, he had the confidence to take on his defender and burst to the hoop. When the shot didn't go, he relied on his trademark toughness to find another way.
Watching the play unfold from his spot on the perimeter, teammate Maceo Jack wasn't surprised. He's been on the receiving end of that kind of hard-earned basket countless times at practice.
"That's what he does," Jack said with a smile.
Mazzulla was far from the only hero to show that kind of resolve in a tight battle against American.
Nolan hit six of seven free throws in overtime and held his ground defensively to draw American leading scorer Sa'eed Nelson's fifth foul via a charge early in the extra frame.
Justin Williams spent most of the game on an exercise bike beside the bench to keep his injured knee from tightening up, but he was ready when called on to log crunch-time minutes.
Javier Langarica turned in a career day with 15 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. The sophomore big man's effort on the defensive end earned him the championship belt presented by the staff for accumulating the most ghost stats for work that doesn't show up in the box score.
It's an award that Mazzulla prizes because it celebrates everything he values on the court, and no one was happier for Langarica.
Perhaps the only thing that gets Mazzulla more excited than saving a loose ball, drawing an offensive foul or fighting for a tip-in is watching a teammate come up with that type of extra-effort play.
"It's amazing to see because it shows that we're starting to buy into what we really want to become," Mazzulla said. "The first step is always buying in. As long as we have everyone on the same page and everyone's willing to do the dirty work, then we're going to have a great team."
The GW guard spied the dwindling shot clock in the final minute of overtime Saturday against American and knew he had to get to the rim. And when he released the layup try, he realized right away his work wasn't done.
Mazzulla stuck with the play to poke home the rebound with his right hand, turning the miss into the bucket that put the Colonials ahead for good in a 71-67 OT win in its non-conference finale at Smith Center.
"Second-chance opportunities are the best opportunities," said Mazzulla, who scored 17 of his career-high 19 points after halftime. "I just took advantage of it and did what I had to do."
Long a reliable source for the type of hustle plays that can breathe life into a home crowd and sap an opponent's momentum, Mazzulla has stepped up his offensive contributions this season to become a more well-rounded floor general. The Rhode Island native showcased the full range of his talents against the crosstown Eagles, energizing GW with his scrappy play on both ends and scoring some clutch points down the stretch to ensure the Colonials head into Atlantic 10 play on a positive note.
Mazzulla totaled eight points in the five-minute overtime period, including a pair of clutch free throws with 12 seconds left, and also added five rebounds and three assists in a career-high 41 minutes. It was the type of gritty performance under pressure that head coach Maurice Joseph has come to expect from a guy he often calls "the heart and soul of our team."
"He's gained my trust from day one in terms of his will to compete and his competitive spirit," Joseph said. "No matter how he's shooting or what the score is, I know he's going to give 100 percent. That's reassuring as a coach to know that he's going to do everything he can to put our team in the best position to win the game."
Mazzulla showed his maturity to turn a tough start into a career-best scoring effort. The sophomore captain missed all six of his field goal attempts in the opening half, leading to a chat with Joseph about shot selection.
Out of the break, Mazzulla made a concerted effort to attack the rim and turned his day around. His highlights included a three-point play with six minutes to go, an acrobatic finish for GW's final basket of regulation and a 3-pointer in overtime.
"It's all about having a next-shot, next-shot, next-shot mentality," said Mazzulla, who finished 6-for-17 from the field. "I struggled with that the past couple of years, but now, I've got the confidence to look ahead to what's next because I'm not going to let my last shot affect my next one."
In the huddle before overtime, Joseph challenged his squad to make the "winning plays" necessary to get the job done.
Led by Mazzulla and Terry Nolan Jr., the Colonials responded, turning a three-point deficit with two minutes left into a four-point lead with seven straight points. That closing kick earned GW its third narrow victory in its past four home games.
"That's what A-10 play is like," Joseph said. "Every game is a fight, and you've got to make those plays down the stretch. That's what we were able to do tonight, and hopefully, that gave our guys a glimpse of the things that are necessary to win games."
Mazzulla's tip-in was part of the decisive run.
It was a play that illustrated Mazzulla's evolving game. After a summer of work on his strength and explosiveness, he had the confidence to take on his defender and burst to the hoop. When the shot didn't go, he relied on his trademark toughness to find another way.
Watching the play unfold from his spot on the perimeter, teammate Maceo Jack wasn't surprised. He's been on the receiving end of that kind of hard-earned basket countless times at practice.
"That's what he does," Jack said with a smile.
Mazzulla was far from the only hero to show that kind of resolve in a tight battle against American.
Nolan hit six of seven free throws in overtime and held his ground defensively to draw American leading scorer Sa'eed Nelson's fifth foul via a charge early in the extra frame.
Justin Williams spent most of the game on an exercise bike beside the bench to keep his injured knee from tightening up, but he was ready when called on to log crunch-time minutes.
Javier Langarica turned in a career day with 15 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. The sophomore big man's effort on the defensive end earned him the championship belt presented by the staff for accumulating the most ghost stats for work that doesn't show up in the box score.
It's an award that Mazzulla prizes because it celebrates everything he values on the court, and no one was happier for Langarica.
Perhaps the only thing that gets Mazzulla more excited than saving a loose ball, drawing an offensive foul or fighting for a tip-in is watching a teammate come up with that type of extra-effort play.
"It's amazing to see because it shows that we're starting to buy into what we really want to become," Mazzulla said. "The first step is always buying in. As long as we have everyone on the same page and everyone's willing to do the dirty work, then we're going to have a great team."
Players Mentioned
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