George Washington University Athletics
GW Athletics Vault: Men's Basketball Dispatches #6 Virginia at Smith Center
7/28/2021 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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.
A visit from nationally-ranked Virginia provided the 2015-16 GW men's basketball team with a golden opportunity to make an early-season statement on its home court.
"All summer, we were talking about this game," remembered Tyler Cavanaugh, now getting set for his fifth season as a pro and then a redshirt junior beginning his career in Foggy Bottom. "We knew we had such a talented roster and team, and it was a great chance to put our name out there early on."
With help from a raucous sell-out crowd at the Charles E. Smith Center, the Buff and Blue made sure the anticipated matchup on Nov. 16, 2015, lived up to the hype and then some.
Cavanaugh and Patricio Garino netted 18 points apiece to lead the way in a 73-68 victory over the sixth-ranked Cavaliers before a national TV audience as part of ESPN's tip-off marathon.
"Just to be confident when I say this, but it wasn't a big shock to win the game, especially with it being at home and having the crowd and having that momentum and having that experienced team and having the bunch of pros that we had on the team," said Joe McDonald, the senior point guard who provided a spark on both ends. "It wasn't really a shock that that happened. It was just a result of all the hard work that we had put in through the years before and the games before, and we were able to just showcase it."
Indeed, Smith Center was ready to meet the moment. Fans filled the arena well before tip-off and never stopped bringing the energy. At one point, ESPN's broadcasters marveled that they had to adjust their microphones to be heard over the crowd.
The highlights of the spirited scene included a beach party in the student section complete with inflatable flamingos and palm trees and the baseball team in full uniform and hollering at full throat behind the visitor's bench.
"I still get chills and goosebumps thinking about that game and that night and what it meant to all of us," Cavanaugh said. "It was a pleasure playing in front of those fans for my time there, and I'm so grateful that they were so loud that night and helped us get the victory."
To take down the mighty Cavaliers led by All-American Malcolm Brogdon, a GW squad that featured three future NBA players in Garino, Cavanaugh and Yuta Watanabe relied on a strong team effort that displayed the depth of the veteran group.
Garino's 3-point play with 8:42 to go put the Colonials in front for good at 57-55 and ignited a 10-0 run that helped the home side take control. The senior guard scored 14 points after halftime, going 5-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from the foul line over the final 20 minutes to key the upset.
Playing his second game in Buff and Blue, Cavanaugh pumped in 18 points in 20 minutes, boosted by a perfect 8-for-8 performance at the charity stripe.
McDonald and Paul Jorgensen also hit double figures on the night, while Kevin Larsen took advantage of Virginia's penchant for double-teaming the post to finish with nine points, seven rebounds and a team-high five assists.
"We were very poised the entire game," McDonald said. "I don't think there was a point where we felt really flustered. That just comes with experience. That's the word to use: It was a very experienced team."
A year earlier, GW had led Virginia at halftime of a road matchup in Charlottesville, Va., only to fade down the stretch. This time, the Colonials managed to weather Virginia's closing kick to secure their first home win over a ranked opponent since 1998.
In the joyous aftermath of the five-point triumph, the home crowd charged onto the court to join the celebration, a storybook finish to an unforgettable night.
"It's an unbelievable feeling," Cavanaugh said. "Because we'd worked so hard, and when the final buzzer sounded and we'd accomplished what we wanted to accomplish, it was just pandemonium."
For the Buff and Blue, the victory over an ACC contender provided proof of how good they could be and a useful confidence boost to begin a season that would finish at Madison Square Garden with an NIT title.
Looking back, that shining performance amid an electric atmosphere under the national spotlight remains just as meaningful.
"UVA will always be a memory that, I think, will stick with our fans, I think will stick with the people who were a part of that day," McDonald said. "That day was very, very special in GW men's basketball history."
A visit from nationally-ranked Virginia provided the 2015-16 GW men's basketball team with a golden opportunity to make an early-season statement on its home court.
"All summer, we were talking about this game," remembered Tyler Cavanaugh, now getting set for his fifth season as a pro and then a redshirt junior beginning his career in Foggy Bottom. "We knew we had such a talented roster and team, and it was a great chance to put our name out there early on."
With help from a raucous sell-out crowd at the Charles E. Smith Center, the Buff and Blue made sure the anticipated matchup on Nov. 16, 2015, lived up to the hype and then some.
Cavanaugh and Patricio Garino netted 18 points apiece to lead the way in a 73-68 victory over the sixth-ranked Cavaliers before a national TV audience as part of ESPN's tip-off marathon.
"Just to be confident when I say this, but it wasn't a big shock to win the game, especially with it being at home and having the crowd and having that momentum and having that experienced team and having the bunch of pros that we had on the team," said Joe McDonald, the senior point guard who provided a spark on both ends. "It wasn't really a shock that that happened. It was just a result of all the hard work that we had put in through the years before and the games before, and we were able to just showcase it."
Indeed, Smith Center was ready to meet the moment. Fans filled the arena well before tip-off and never stopped bringing the energy. At one point, ESPN's broadcasters marveled that they had to adjust their microphones to be heard over the crowd.
The highlights of the spirited scene included a beach party in the student section complete with inflatable flamingos and palm trees and the baseball team in full uniform and hollering at full throat behind the visitor's bench.
"I still get chills and goosebumps thinking about that game and that night and what it meant to all of us," Cavanaugh said. "It was a pleasure playing in front of those fans for my time there, and I'm so grateful that they were so loud that night and helped us get the victory."
To take down the mighty Cavaliers led by All-American Malcolm Brogdon, a GW squad that featured three future NBA players in Garino, Cavanaugh and Yuta Watanabe relied on a strong team effort that displayed the depth of the veteran group.
Garino's 3-point play with 8:42 to go put the Colonials in front for good at 57-55 and ignited a 10-0 run that helped the home side take control. The senior guard scored 14 points after halftime, going 5-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from the foul line over the final 20 minutes to key the upset.
Playing his second game in Buff and Blue, Cavanaugh pumped in 18 points in 20 minutes, boosted by a perfect 8-for-8 performance at the charity stripe.
McDonald and Paul Jorgensen also hit double figures on the night, while Kevin Larsen took advantage of Virginia's penchant for double-teaming the post to finish with nine points, seven rebounds and a team-high five assists.
"We were very poised the entire game," McDonald said. "I don't think there was a point where we felt really flustered. That just comes with experience. That's the word to use: It was a very experienced team."
A year earlier, GW had led Virginia at halftime of a road matchup in Charlottesville, Va., only to fade down the stretch. This time, the Colonials managed to weather Virginia's closing kick to secure their first home win over a ranked opponent since 1998.
In the joyous aftermath of the five-point triumph, the home crowd charged onto the court to join the celebration, a storybook finish to an unforgettable night.
"It's an unbelievable feeling," Cavanaugh said. "Because we'd worked so hard, and when the final buzzer sounded and we'd accomplished what we wanted to accomplish, it was just pandemonium."
For the Buff and Blue, the victory over an ACC contender provided proof of how good they could be and a useful confidence boost to begin a season that would finish at Madison Square Garden with an NIT title.
Looking back, that shining performance amid an electric atmosphere under the national spotlight remains just as meaningful.
"UVA will always be a memory that, I think, will stick with our fans, I think will stick with the people who were a part of that day," McDonald said. "That day was very, very special in GW men's basketball history."
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