
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Women's Basketball Visits --/RV Virginia Tech Tuesday
11/30/2020 1:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
GW looks for first 3-0 start since 2007-08
WASHINGTON - Off to its first 2-0 start since 2015, GW hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Virginia Tech on Tuesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. with the broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
SEASON OF ACTION: As part of the 2020-21 Season of Action, GW Women's Basketball is proud to highlight the work that graduate student Jasmine Whitney and redshirt junior Neila Luma have done as part of their internship programs.
Whitney is serving as a Research Assistant on an a project focusing on success stories of children growing up with incarcerated parents. These children are often the invisible victims of mass incarceration and are typically overlooked. The study aims to highlight the resiliency that these children have in order to make a better life for themselves, and includes interviews with children to gain insight on their experiences. Jasmine's focus has been to examine their mental health and education, and she has also done background research on possible reasons for these children to experience negative mental health issues and how their environment helps or hinders their experience. The study is ongoing.
Luma spent most of the fall semester interning with the Public Defender's Service for D.C., which provides legal representation to indigent individuals in D.C.'s local criminal justice system. As an investigative intern, Neila worked directly with staff attorneys to complete various hands-on investigative tasks and advocate for clients, giving her first-hand experience in the day-to-day and human elements in the fight for criminal justice reform.
Stay tuned throughout the week for more information on organizations dedicated to criminal justice reform.
HISTORIC DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: Through two games, GW has allowed a total of 75 points (37.5 per game), the third-fewest in program history in the season's first two games and fewest in 43 years:
• 1977-78: 68 (30 vs. Liberty, 38 vs. St. Mary's (MD))
• 1976-77: 71 (55 vs. Liberty, 16 vs. UDC)
• 2020-21: 75 (38 vs. Lincoln, 37 vs. Old Dominion)
NOT A MISPRINT: GW has yielded just three points in the second quarter of its first two games (2 vs. Lincoln, 1 vs. ODU) on 1-of-27 shooting (3.7%). Overall in the first half, the Colonials have limited opponents to 21 points and 8-of-61 (13.1%) shooting.
NATIONALLY-ACCLAIMED DEFENSE: Of teams that have played multiple games this year, GW is statistically the best defense in the NCAA in both field goal percentage defense (22.4%) and scoring defense (37.5 ppg). The Buff & Blue have allowed only 26 made field goals, fewest in the nation, and five 3s, the third-fewest in the category.
In GW annals, the 18.6% shot by Lincoln on Wednesday was the lowest of the Jen Rizzotti era (since 2016-17) and the lowest recorded since November 21, 2004 (ECU, 17.4%).
A LOOK AT THE HOKIES: Virginia Tech has possessed a potent offensive attack in its first two games, scoring over 80 points in wins over Richmond and Liberty. Five players are averaging double figures, led by preseason All-ACC selections Aisha Sheppard (16.0 ppg) and Elizabeth Kitley (15.5 ppg & 13.5 rpg). Kitley is the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year for a Tech squad that went 21-9 last season and was positioned to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.
VT has won 57 straight non-conference home games, including all 41 under head coach Kenny Brooks, who is in his fifth year as the program's head coach. The Hokies were projected to finish seventh in the ACC this season.
SEASON OF ACTION: As part of the 2020-21 Season of Action, GW Women's Basketball is proud to highlight the work that graduate student Jasmine Whitney and redshirt junior Neila Luma have done as part of their internship programs.
Whitney is serving as a Research Assistant on an a project focusing on success stories of children growing up with incarcerated parents. These children are often the invisible victims of mass incarceration and are typically overlooked. The study aims to highlight the resiliency that these children have in order to make a better life for themselves, and includes interviews with children to gain insight on their experiences. Jasmine's focus has been to examine their mental health and education, and she has also done background research on possible reasons for these children to experience negative mental health issues and how their environment helps or hinders their experience. The study is ongoing.
Luma spent most of the fall semester interning with the Public Defender's Service for D.C., which provides legal representation to indigent individuals in D.C.'s local criminal justice system. As an investigative intern, Neila worked directly with staff attorneys to complete various hands-on investigative tasks and advocate for clients, giving her first-hand experience in the day-to-day and human elements in the fight for criminal justice reform.
Stay tuned throughout the week for more information on organizations dedicated to criminal justice reform.
HISTORIC DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: Through two games, GW has allowed a total of 75 points (37.5 per game), the third-fewest in program history in the season's first two games and fewest in 43 years:
• 1976-77: 71 (55 vs. Liberty, 16 vs. UDC)
• 2020-21: 75 (38 vs. Lincoln, 37 vs. Old Dominion)
NOT A MISPRINT: GW has yielded just three points in the second quarter of its first two games (2 vs. Lincoln, 1 vs. ODU) on 1-of-27 shooting (3.7%). Overall in the first half, the Colonials have limited opponents to 21 points and 8-of-61 (13.1%) shooting.
NATIONALLY-ACCLAIMED DEFENSE: Of teams that have played multiple games this year, GW is statistically the best defense in the NCAA in both field goal percentage defense (22.4%) and scoring defense (37.5 ppg). The Buff & Blue have allowed only 26 made field goals, fewest in the nation, and five 3s, the third-fewest in the category.
In GW annals, the 18.6% shot by Lincoln on Wednesday was the lowest of the Jen Rizzotti era (since 2016-17) and the lowest recorded since November 21, 2004 (ECU, 17.4%).
A LOOK AT THE HOKIES: Virginia Tech has possessed a potent offensive attack in its first two games, scoring over 80 points in wins over Richmond and Liberty. Five players are averaging double figures, led by preseason All-ACC selections Aisha Sheppard (16.0 ppg) and Elizabeth Kitley (15.5 ppg & 13.5 rpg). Kitley is the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year for a Tech squad that went 21-9 last season and was positioned to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.
VT has won 57 straight non-conference home games, including all 41 under head coach Kenny Brooks, who is in his fifth year as the program's head coach. The Hokies were projected to finish seventh in the ACC this season.
Players Mentioned
GW Athletics: Coach Ganiyat Adeduntan Intro Event
Monday, April 07
GW v UMASS (2/26/25) Post Game Presser
Wednesday, February 26
GW v DAV (2/23/25) WBB Post Game Presser
Sunday, February 23
GW WBB vs. Fordham (02/04/25) Post Game Presser
Wednesday, February 05