WASHINGTON, DC – For the first time since 2017, the George Washington Revolutionaries have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. For the first time since 2021, GW won an A-10 Tournament game. For the first time in his head coaching career, Chris Caputo won a conference tournament game.
On the back of sophomore guard Trey Autry, No. 7 GW staved off a frantic comeback by the No. 15 Fordham Rams to earn a thrilling 88-81 second-round victory
After going up by as many as 13 points late in the second half, a 10-0 Fordham run gave the Rams a 74-72 lead with under two minutes left in regulation.
Then, Autry put GW on his back. He hit a three with 1:58 left to give GW a 75-74 lead. After Fordham senior guard Jackie Johnson III, who ended with 35 points, missed a layup, Autry hit another three to increase GW’s lead to four, 78-74. Fordham responded with graduate guard Japhet Medor knocking down two free throws to make it a two point game. Once again, Autry found the ball in his hand in the corner with just enough space to get off a shot and nailed his third-straight three to give GW a five-point, 81-76 lead.
Autry’s heroic three point barrage within the final two minutes proved to be too much for Fordham to come back from.
“It was a team effort. Down the stretch, drove some great plays. I just happened to be open,” Autry said. “I have all the confidence in the world because all my teammates have all the confidence in the world in me. If you watched the game, I’m missing three open ones, but after every shot, they’re encouraging me to keep shooting and keep firing. When you have people behind you telling you that, there’s not much you can say. I threw a few in, all glory to God, and we came out with the win.”
Autry ended up tying his career high with 23 points and setting a new career high with seven made threes on 7-13 shooting from behind the arc.
Junior center, All-Conference Second Teamer and All-Defensive Teamer Rafael Castro chipped in 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
GW appeared to be in control for most of the game, leading for over 38 minutes of total game time. That all began after they were able to score on the first touch of the game on what appeared to be a designed play off of the tip, where Castro swatted the ball forward to redshirt freshman guard Christian Jones, who was streaking towards the basket for an open layup.
For most of the first half, GW was able to stay ahead of Fordham by about two possessions, keeping the lead but never being able to truly gain enough separation to feel comfortable.
An energized, aggressive and productive start from redshirt sophomore forward Darren Buchanan Jr. was one of the primary reasons why GW was able to jump out to an early lead in the first half. For the first time since injuring his ankle in early January, Buchanan Jr., who finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, flashed the superstar potential that he showed during his first year with GW and the start of this season. He did not hesitate to drive to the basket. He finished through contact. He out-muscled the Fordham frontcourt for offensive rebounds. He looked like himself again.
“[Buchanan Jr.] was playing with force,” Caputo said. “We needed it against these guys. I thought he played with force. Got on the offensive glass, had seven rebounds. Did a really good job.”
While beating a No. 15 seeded last-place team may not feel like much of a turning point for a program, this second-round victory symbolized how far GW has come these past few seasons under Caputo. This was a game that felt like GW teams of years and coaches past would have choked away. They weathered a career game from Johnson. They did not give up after giving up a late 13 point lead. Someone, in this case Autry, stepped up and put the team on their back. They executed in crunch time. They found a way to get the win when it mattered most.
“We’re in a natural progression of where the program needs to go, and I feel good about that,” Caputo said.
Up next for GW is No. 2 George Mason, who earned a share of the regular season title and have already beaten the Revs twice this season in dramatic, controversial fashion. Led by Coach of the Year Tony Skinn, senior center and All-Conference First Teamer Jalen Haynes and senior guard and Defensive Player of the Year Jared Billups, the third iteration of this season’s Revolutionary Rivalry is shaping up to be the most anticipated GW game since the 2016 NIT final.
“This year, we almost won the game about three times at their place, but didn’t win,” Caputo said. “And then I thought they were very, very good. I thought we were dead in the water. It was almost like this game where we came back and took a lead, [Jalen] Haynes scored. We missed two free throws, one with 30 seconds. So the games have been super competitive.”
Caputo spent the first part of his career on Jim Larrañaga’s staff at George Mason, played a crucial role on the 2006 Final Four team and even coached Skinn when he played at George Mason. No one understands the significance of this quarterfinal matchup more than him.
“I’m really proud of Tony [Skinn] and, obviously, that staff and Lamar Butler is, obviously, on the staff,” Caputo said. “Those guys have done so much for me and my career to help me get different jobs and things like that because of how well they played. I’ve been so proud of bringing some of what we did, what Coach Larrañaga did, back to the program.”
“They deserve a lot of credit, and I think it’s a good rivalry,” Caputo continued. “I think we need this type of stuff. We don’t have what Philly has. Maybe this will be a little taste of it here, and that’s a good thing. We’re not going anywhere. I don’t think they’re going anywhere. I expect us to be amongst the best teams in this league for a long time.”
