GW Athletics Vault: Carl Elliott's Tip-In vs. Charlotte
3/25/2021 1:30:00 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. To learn more about the #GW200 festivities, visit the university bicentennial page.
The 2005-06 GW men's basketball team took the Buff and Blue faithful on an unbelievable ride while soaring as high as No. 6 in the national polls.
Of all the unforgettable highlights that season, it's hard to top the regular season finale vs. Charlotte on March 4, 2006. That afternoon, the Colonials closed out an unbeaten run through their Atlantic 10 schedule by winning an overtime thriller before a sell-out crowd at the Smith Center thanks to the final-second heroics of Carl Elliott, a two-time All A-10 guard with a knack for coming up clutch in key moments like this still-stunning steal and game-winner vs. Dayton as a junior.
"My thing was – and it was with me through high school, college – it was just, 'When the opportunity presents itself, you've got to be ready for it,'" said Elliott, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native who started in 120 of his 122 appearances as a member of the Buff and Blue. "You've got to make it happen. When it's there, it's going to be there for a short period of time, so you've got to get it."
GW, behind the play of Elliott and his All-Conference teammates Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Mike Hall and J.R. Pinnock, entered the final day of the regular season looking to run its program-record winning streak to 18 games.
The stage was set for a raucous Senior Day celebration in Foggy Bottom, but the visiting 49ers were ready to spoil the party.
Playing without an injured Mensah-Bonsu, GW trailed by five in the final minute of regulation and was still down three in the waning seconds when Maureece Rice canned a desperation triple to force overtime.
In the extra session, the Buff and Blue found themselves down late again. This time, a late technical foul opened the door for a fairy tale finish.
Mike Hall hit both of his free throws to pull the home side within 1, and then came a moment that will forever live in GW Athletics lore: Noel Wilmore misfired on a 3-pointer, but Elliott swooped in to tip in the rebound while falling to the floor to give the Colonials an improbable 86-85 victory.
"I can see it the way I'm running, and I remember thinking 'If no one gets that ball, I'm going to tip it in,'" Elliott recalled. "When I jumped and my hands were on the ball, I was still in shock. I was like 'What the? They let me get this?' And then when it went in, it was just over with. The crowd erupted."
After his buzzer-beating tip, Elliott ripped off his jersey in triumph before being swarmed by his gleeful teammates.
The fans, some of whom had lined up 14 hours before tip for tickets, raced to the court to join the jubilation, while the Colonials danced on the scorer's table and soaked in the scene after clinching the fourth perfect A-10 regular season in conference history to that point.
"My family was there -- I'm pretty sure everyone's family was there," Elliott said. "To do it in front of them that kind of way and to extend the season to a perfect season was just incredible.
"That day will forever be one of my top memories. It may be the top one. I enjoyed it a lot. I tell my friends and my kids, 'If I could go back to one day, I would go back to that day.'"
GW would end that season with a 27-3 record, including a stirring comeback win over UNC-Wilmington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Colonials earned an A-10 regular season title and a No. 19 final national ranking while making a mountain of memories and friendships that still endure 15 years later.
"To leave that type of legacy that we did at GW is awesome," Elliott said. "I can tell my kids about that, that I played at the George Washington University and we were No. 6 in the country at one point. We went to the tournament all my years. To leave a legacy like that is awesome, not just for me but for the program, for those guys now coming up in the program to understand like, 'The guys before you laid this way for you to be here right now, take advantage of it.'"
The 2005-06 GW men's basketball team took the Buff and Blue faithful on an unbelievable ride while soaring as high as No. 6 in the national polls.
Of all the unforgettable highlights that season, it's hard to top the regular season finale vs. Charlotte on March 4, 2006. That afternoon, the Colonials closed out an unbeaten run through their Atlantic 10 schedule by winning an overtime thriller before a sell-out crowd at the Smith Center thanks to the final-second heroics of Carl Elliott, a two-time All A-10 guard with a knack for coming up clutch in key moments like this still-stunning steal and game-winner vs. Dayton as a junior.
"My thing was – and it was with me through high school, college – it was just, 'When the opportunity presents itself, you've got to be ready for it,'" said Elliott, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native who started in 120 of his 122 appearances as a member of the Buff and Blue. "You've got to make it happen. When it's there, it's going to be there for a short period of time, so you've got to get it."
GW, behind the play of Elliott and his All-Conference teammates Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Mike Hall and J.R. Pinnock, entered the final day of the regular season looking to run its program-record winning streak to 18 games.
The stage was set for a raucous Senior Day celebration in Foggy Bottom, but the visiting 49ers were ready to spoil the party.
Playing without an injured Mensah-Bonsu, GW trailed by five in the final minute of regulation and was still down three in the waning seconds when Maureece Rice canned a desperation triple to force overtime.
In the extra session, the Buff and Blue found themselves down late again. This time, a late technical foul opened the door for a fairy tale finish.
Mike Hall hit both of his free throws to pull the home side within 1, and then came a moment that will forever live in GW Athletics lore: Noel Wilmore misfired on a 3-pointer, but Elliott swooped in to tip in the rebound while falling to the floor to give the Colonials an improbable 86-85 victory.
"I can see it the way I'm running, and I remember thinking 'If no one gets that ball, I'm going to tip it in,'" Elliott recalled. "When I jumped and my hands were on the ball, I was still in shock. I was like 'What the? They let me get this?' And then when it went in, it was just over with. The crowd erupted."
After his buzzer-beating tip, Elliott ripped off his jersey in triumph before being swarmed by his gleeful teammates.
The fans, some of whom had lined up 14 hours before tip for tickets, raced to the court to join the jubilation, while the Colonials danced on the scorer's table and soaked in the scene after clinching the fourth perfect A-10 regular season in conference history to that point.
"My family was there -- I'm pretty sure everyone's family was there," Elliott said. "To do it in front of them that kind of way and to extend the season to a perfect season was just incredible.
"That day will forever be one of my top memories. It may be the top one. I enjoyed it a lot. I tell my friends and my kids, 'If I could go back to one day, I would go back to that day.'"
GW would end that season with a 27-3 record, including a stirring comeback win over UNC-Wilmington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Colonials earned an A-10 regular season title and a No. 19 final national ranking while making a mountain of memories and friendships that still endure 15 years later.
"To leave that type of legacy that we did at GW is awesome," Elliott said. "I can tell my kids about that, that I played at the George Washington University and we were No. 6 in the country at one point. We went to the tournament all my years. To leave a legacy like that is awesome, not just for me but for the program, for those guys now coming up in the program to understand like, 'The guys before you laid this way for you to be here right now, take advantage of it.'"
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