George Washington University Athletics
GW Athletics Vault: Men’s Basketball Upsets #1 UMass at Smith Center
10/1/2021 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, My GW: Celebrating our Stories
Feb. 9, 2021 marked the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Congress' establishment of The George Washington University's charter. GW Athletics is proud to be part of the university's bicentennial celebration, honoring the historic milestone with a variety of initiatives meant to highlight the best of the Buff and Blue, including these regular features looking into the GW Athletics Vault. Visit the university bicentennial page to learn more about the #GW200 festivities, which conclude on Oct. 3.
Across four-plus decades of memorable GW men's basketball moments at the Charles E. Smith Center, it's hard to top the scenes of Feb. 4, 1995.
That day, President Bill Clinton was part of a raucous crowd that spurred the Buff and Blue to a 78-75 victory over top-ranked UMass.
Kwame Evans scored a game-high 27 points to lead the Colonials past the Minutemen and then afterward emerged from the flood of jubilant fans to take a seat atop the basket in an iconic celebration.
Clinton and his daughter Chelsea had box seats for the upset before the President paid a postgame visit to the Buff and Blue locker room to offer his congratulations in the ultimate Only at GW memory.
"That win, I think, kind of stamped us across the country," said Vaughn Jones, who hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to help close out the victory. "It was a big, big moment for GW basketball."
UMass, under the direction of Hall of Fame coach John Calipari, brought a 16-game winning streak to Foggy Bottom, but GW found a way to extinguish that run amid a festive atmosphere.
"The Smith Center was electric," Jones said. "I remember feeling the energy from the crowd. We always had good crowds, but that particular crowd, it just felt electric."
GW's veteran cast of Evans, Jones and Nimbo Hammons combined for 63 of the team's 78 points, and the Buff and Blue broke from their usual scouting report with a zone defense that surprised the Minutemen.
After UMass edged in front at 59-58 on a three-point play with 8:56 remaining, GW responded with eight straight points to take the lead for good.
The Minutemen, however, didn't go down without a fight. The Buff and Blue led by just one when Jones delivered his clutch free throws in the waning seconds and the visitors still had a final chance to tie, but the desperation heave sailed off target, triggering a celebration for the ages.
"When everyone came together in the middle of the court, it was a sea of happiness," remembered Alexander Koul, a rookie starter on that squad.
Amid the revelry, Evans got a boost up to take a seat on the basket, providing a snapshot that would make its way onto sports pages across the country the next day.
"It wasn't planned or anything," said Evans, a 2014 inductee into the GW Athletics Hall of Fame who is set to be honored again in February when the 1993 Sweet 16 squad goes in together. "I guess I was trying to escape the crowd a little bit, and it happened to be on the front page of the Washington Post.
"That was pretty cool. It just signified that we had beat the No. 1 team and how happy we were to do it."
The photo still endures today, a fitting celebration of one of the program's all-time greats after one its most triumphant moments.
"What can you say? Everything happened the way it should've been," Koul said. "He leads the team, he scores the points and then by all rights, he took the proper seat after the final whistle."
A postgame meet-and-greet with President Clinton provided the icing on the cake. The First Fan had met Mike Jarvis at a White House event the previous year and picked a perfect occasion to take the GW coach up on the invitation to visit Smith Center.
Thinking back, Evans couldn't have scripted it any better. The Baltimore native finished his GW career with four postseason trips, including the 1993 Sweet 16 run, but he says there are few memories that can surpass the ones made that day.
"It's right up there with the top," Evans said. "It's got to be top-three, I would say. Maybe even one. It's a good memory that you'll never forget. Just so much went on with that game."
Across four-plus decades of memorable GW men's basketball moments at the Charles E. Smith Center, it's hard to top the scenes of Feb. 4, 1995.
That day, President Bill Clinton was part of a raucous crowd that spurred the Buff and Blue to a 78-75 victory over top-ranked UMass.
Kwame Evans scored a game-high 27 points to lead the Colonials past the Minutemen and then afterward emerged from the flood of jubilant fans to take a seat atop the basket in an iconic celebration.
Clinton and his daughter Chelsea had box seats for the upset before the President paid a postgame visit to the Buff and Blue locker room to offer his congratulations in the ultimate Only at GW memory.
"That win, I think, kind of stamped us across the country," said Vaughn Jones, who hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to help close out the victory. "It was a big, big moment for GW basketball."
UMass, under the direction of Hall of Fame coach John Calipari, brought a 16-game winning streak to Foggy Bottom, but GW found a way to extinguish that run amid a festive atmosphere.
"The Smith Center was electric," Jones said. "I remember feeling the energy from the crowd. We always had good crowds, but that particular crowd, it just felt electric."
GW's veteran cast of Evans, Jones and Nimbo Hammons combined for 63 of the team's 78 points, and the Buff and Blue broke from their usual scouting report with a zone defense that surprised the Minutemen.
After UMass edged in front at 59-58 on a three-point play with 8:56 remaining, GW responded with eight straight points to take the lead for good.
The Minutemen, however, didn't go down without a fight. The Buff and Blue led by just one when Jones delivered his clutch free throws in the waning seconds and the visitors still had a final chance to tie, but the desperation heave sailed off target, triggering a celebration for the ages.
"When everyone came together in the middle of the court, it was a sea of happiness," remembered Alexander Koul, a rookie starter on that squad.
Amid the revelry, Evans got a boost up to take a seat on the basket, providing a snapshot that would make its way onto sports pages across the country the next day.
"It wasn't planned or anything," said Evans, a 2014 inductee into the GW Athletics Hall of Fame who is set to be honored again in February when the 1993 Sweet 16 squad goes in together. "I guess I was trying to escape the crowd a little bit, and it happened to be on the front page of the Washington Post.
"That was pretty cool. It just signified that we had beat the No. 1 team and how happy we were to do it."
The photo still endures today, a fitting celebration of one of the program's all-time greats after one its most triumphant moments.
"What can you say? Everything happened the way it should've been," Koul said. "He leads the team, he scores the points and then by all rights, he took the proper seat after the final whistle."
A postgame meet-and-greet with President Clinton provided the icing on the cake. The First Fan had met Mike Jarvis at a White House event the previous year and picked a perfect occasion to take the GW coach up on the invitation to visit Smith Center.
Thinking back, Evans couldn't have scripted it any better. The Baltimore native finished his GW career with four postseason trips, including the 1993 Sweet 16 run, but he says there are few memories that can surpass the ones made that day.
"It's right up there with the top," Evans said. "It's got to be top-three, I would say. Maybe even one. It's a good memory that you'll never forget. Just so much went on with that game."
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