THE REAL JB: James Bishop’s 26 points on Saturday made him the first Colonial since A-10 Player of the Year Shawnta Rogers from Feb. 3-13, 1999 to score at least 25 points in four straight games. With another 25-point performance on Wednesday, Bishop would become the first member of the Buff & Blue with five-straight 25-point showings since Pat Tallent in 1976, the first year of the Smith Center’s existence.
TOP TIER TANDEM: Bishop has combined with Joe Bamisile to form a dynamic 1-2 punch for the Colonials that is averaging a league-high 37.9 ppg in A-10 play. Alongside Bishop’s conference-leading 20.2 ppg, Bamisile has chipped in 17.7 ppg to rank seventh in the circuit. The duo has combined for 47 3-pointers against league foes, most of any pair of teammates in the A-10.
Overall, Bishop and Bamisile have averaged a combined 32.7 ppg this season, second only to George Mason’s Josh Oduro and D’Shawn Schwartz, who provide an average of 33.5 ppg.
TURNING THE CORNER: GW has found its offensive rhythm in the last five games, averaging 71.2 ppg while shooting 45.8% from the floor and 44.1% from beyond the arc in the stretch. Prior to the Rhode Island game, which began the turnaround, GW averaged 63.3 ppg, was shooting 40.7% from the floor and 27.8% from deep.
The Colonials have shot at least 44% from the field in each of the last five games after doing so just five times in the first 16 games. Additionally, the Buff & Blue have shot at least 33% from 3-point range in each of the last five games after only hitting that mark four times previously. On average, GW is hitting three more 3-pointers per contest (9.0 per game) vs. the first 16 games of the year (6.1).
A LOOK AT THE MINUTEMEN: GW brings an eight-game winning streak vs. UMass into Wednesday’s game and also has won five straight contests in Amherst. This year, UMass possesses one of the country’s top offenses, yet one of the nation’s poorest defenses. As a result, the Minutemen sit at 10-11 overall and 3-6 in A-10 play following a 78-67 victory at Rhode Island on Saturday. Noah Fernandes, the team’s leading scorer, returned to action after missing a pair of games and provides 15.7 ppg for UMass. Rich Kelly chips in 13.1 ppg and is sixth in the nation in 3-point percentage at 50.5%. C.J. Kelly (11.8 ppg) and Trent Buttrick (11.5 ppg) also average double figures.
UMass is 33rd in the NCAA in offensive efficiency, scoring 1.123 points per possession and fifth as a team at 39.6% from beyond the arc. Defensively, though, the Minutemen give up 1.123 points per possession, 333rd nationally, and are 344th in effective field goal percentage defense (54.8%).
Credit: Source link
