Fantastic Finish

Calendar

No Upcoming Events

Javier Langarica paused a moment to rifle through years of basketball memories, thoughtfully scanning a journey that's taken him halfway across the globe chasing his dreams on the hardwood.

This was after Langarica's last-second putback gave GW a 64-63 win over Boston University on Wednesday night. After the junior from Bilbao, Spain, was mobbed under the hoop by his delirious teammates while the Smith Center crowd unleashed an equally euphoric roar. And after the Colonials gleefully tackled him to continue the celebration upon his arrival to the locker room.

The unlikely hero of GW's unforgettable comeback victory tried to remember if he'd ever hit a game-winning buzzer-beater before.

"No, no, never," Langarica finally concluded with a grin. "Not to win a game. Not like that."

Indeed, Langarica's contested finish off a missed 3-pointer – plus the well-earned party that followed – provided the signature moment of the GW season thus far.

That the forward was in position to deliver the clutch bucket is a testament to the Buff and Blue's continued development under head coach Jamion Christian.

The youthful Colonials dug deep with the game on the line, using Christian's calling-card smothering defense to produce the offense needed to stun the Terriers.

The buzzer-beater capped a 10-0 run to close the game as GW erased a nine-point deficit over the final 1:56. ESPN's win probability metric gave BU as much as a 96.9 percent chance of winning before the Colonials emphatically flipped the script.

To Christian, that extraordinary closing kick illustrated a blueprint for success moving forward.

"It's just about having that will and that want-to to make that play," Christian said. "I felt like for the first time, really all season, in those last three or four minutes we were really so connected and flying around.

"We needed to be that way, and hopefully, that can carry over. The tougher team always wins, and I think we found a way to just be a little bit tougher tonight."

In the victory, GW proved it had learned from a couple of tight defeats on its home court early in the season. The Colonials found a way, even with Arnaldo Toro sidelined by foul trouble much of the night in his return from injury.

Jameer Nelson, Jr. led the way in his return to the starting lineup, setting a career best with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting in 34 minutes. The first-year guard's transition wizardry included a circus layup on an intentional foul that led to a four-point trip and a crowd-pleasing slam.

Veterans Armel Potter, Maceo Jack and Justin Williams showed their experience in crunch time, and newcomers Nelson, Jamison Battle and Shawn Walker, Jr. matched their intensity, especially on the defensive end.

Christian's MAYHEM defense produced four consecutive stops after the Terriers took a 63-54 lead with 2:33 left, highlighted by a pair of steals.

Nelson shut down a BU trip with one of his team-high four thefts, and Jack and Potter teamed to create a turnover off the full-court press that led to a pair of free throws.

The Colonials fed off the energy from their enthusiastic bench – with an assist from the Buff and Blue faithful – to fuel the decisive burst.

"It wasn't shocking because that's how we are," said Potter, who posted 15 points, five rebounds and three assists. "That's how we are in the locker room. That's how we are in practice, really everywhere. That's the team we've been looking for – a team that stays connected, that resets and just never gives up."

Langarica exemplified that attitude, keeping his focus to make an impact when it mattered most.

Christian used the 6-foot-4 Williams at the center spot for much of the second half, seeking to maximize GW's advantage in quickness and athleticism, but the coach made sure Langarica stayed ready.

Langarica started the game-closing run by splitting a pair of free throws and then headed back to the bench with 1:56 remaining. When he got there, Christian slung an arm around his big man and told him, "Hey, I'm going to come back to you here when we need a basket."

Langarica got his opportunity on the game's final possession. He was under the hoop battling for the offensive rebound on GW's first go-ahead try when it deflected out off the Terriers.

The Colonials made the most of their second chance: Potter's 3-ball misfired, but Langarica collected the miss and banked in the left-handed follow to win it.

In the moment, Langarica didn't have time to consider the first game-winning buzzer beater of his life. His instincts simply took over with no seconds to spare, he said.

Afterward, he made sure to savor the special finish, though.

"It's a great feeling," Langarica said once the joyous locker room had cleared. "We just kept believing and kept fighting. We only gotta win by one, so that's what we did."

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Players Mentioned

Jamison Battle

Maceo Jack

Javier Langarica

Armel Potter

Arnaldo Toro

Justin Williams

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

George Washington University Athletics