The George Washington Colonials opened their season with a convincing victory on Friday night, defeating an overmatched Maryland-Eastern Shore team 64-48 at the Colonial Center. Mike Longeran’s debut was a success, particularly on the defensive end where the Colonials held the Hawks to a woeful 29% from the field and forced 23 turnovers. GWU was disciplined all evening and the game was never in doubt with the Hawks struggling on the offensive end.
The Colonials, however, did not exactly light it up on the offensive end themselves. They were particularly cold from behind the arc, going three for twelve. Only one player, Tony Taylor, was in double figures. The senior from New York hit two of GWU’s three three-pointers, and finished with a game-high 20 points.
Longeran has to be happy with the defensive effort but the road gets tougher as the Colonials step up and travel across the country to face a major BCS conference foe. They have little time to enjoy the win with the Cal Golden Bears waiting for them on Sunday evening in Berkeley.