'Great Grit'

A review to set the game clock extended the timeout before the final play of Sunday's Atlantic 10 men's basketball rematch at Smith Center.

It was a break that might've made a pressure-packed moment even more tense, but GW, needing a stop to claim a home victory and a weekend split vs. Duquesne, made the most of the extra time.

Breaking the extended huddle, Head Coach Jamion Christian felt confident about what would happen next.

"The amount of conversation that was going on in our huddle with our players – guys in the game, not in the game – and our coaching staff, we were just all really working together," Christian said. "The guys on the floor looked at the formation and said 'I think they're going to do something like this.' We were able to really talk it out.

"I was just impressed with our group. We've got a lot of guys who haven't played a lot of A-10 games, played a lot of games here at GW, but that camaraderie that we had in that tough moment with 6.3 seconds left, I thought was really special."

Indeed, that spirit shined through on the game's final play with Matt Moyer walling up to deny Duquesne's final attempt and Tyler Brelsford chasing down the rebound to seal a 75-73 victory.

It was a fitting finish to a performance that showcased the youthful squad's continued growth.

After getting pushed around by the physical Dukes in a Saturday loss, GW made the necessary adjustments to challenge the visitors and then stood tall in the final minute to earn a hard-fought triumph.

Thanks to Jamison Battle's career day, James Bishop's decisive 3-pointer and that final defensive stand, the Buff and Blue found a way to flip the script on a series of narrow non-conference defeats.

"I'm excited about the guys that we've got here," Christian said afterward. "Great grit. Great toughness. I'm fired up to be coaching these guys."

Following Saturday's 75-63 setback, Christian and his staff went to work coming up with a game plan for the second leg of a rare A-10 back-to-back.

The coaches gathered the group that night to review the mistakes and come up with tweaks on both ends to counter Duquesne's size advantage. On Sunday morning, they walked through the plan during shootaround and then were ready to execute it in the rematch.

Offensively, Duquesne's focus on defending Bishop opened up opportunities for others. Battle took full advantage with a career-high 29 points, including a 6-of-13 effort from behind the arc, while Moyer found room around the rim to add 14.

Bishop kept everyone involved with seven assists and scored 11 of his 16 after halftime, including his clutch go-ahead 3 off an inbounds play with 13 seconds left.

"We just executed the plan that Coach had," said Battle, who averaged 23.3 ppg on 54 percent shooting (26-of-48) in three games last week. "I've said it a million times, but I think that was the main thing. We believed in each other."

The defensive formula focused on limiting Duquesne's paint touches and a full-team rebounding effort after the Dukes racked up 13 second-chance points in Saturday's second half.

Though the Dukes totaled 16 second-chance points on Sunday, the Colonials largely did a better job of holding their ground. They challenged everything and forced the visitors to hit free throws rather than giving up layups.

Moyer (15 rebounds) and Battle (7) did their part to help centers Chase Paar, Hunter Dean and Noel Brown on the boards.

"That's the kind of effort that we need," Christian said. "We don't have a big, mammoth guy in there, so we've got to do it collectively, and we've got to do it as a collaboration.

"I thought our guys were able to do that. It's a team effort when you're guarding great players, and they've got a few of them over there. That's why we're so excited about the win."

After so many close calls early this season, GW was able to apply those lessons learned and close this one out with an excellent final minute.

The Buff and Blue press forced a turnover before Bishop's game-winner swished through. Then, they dug deep for one final defensive stand, setting off a well-earned celebration on the home sideline.

"It's a big stepping stone," Battle said. "I think it just shows what we've done in the offseason, what we've done to prepare for this moment. I think it's a big step for the team."

In its 2-1 start to A-10 play, GW has shown the physical and mental toughness needed to compete in the conference night in and night out, buoyed by a team spirit that has Christian optimistic about the road ahead.

"I think we were watching that unfold in front of our eyes today," said Christian, whose team welcomes UMass to Foggy Bottom on Wednesday. "I'm excited to get back out here with these guys on the practice floor tomorrow because every day I just feel our group growing together, I feel that momentum coming.

"I think we're a dangerous team with that kind of momentum with the kind of guys that we have on this team that can emerge and make plays."

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Jamison Battle

James Bishop IV

Tyler Brelsford

Noel Brown

Hunter Dean

Matt Moyer

Chase Paar