 |
| GW introduces La Salle to its 1-3-1 zone defense |
From our friends at GW Athletics Communications...
GW Men's Hoops Blasts La Salle for Fifth Straight A-10 Win
Colonials Deliver Staunch Defensive Effort to Cruise to 69-47 Victory
GW men's basketball posted its best defensive effort of the season, limiting La Salle to 27 percent shooting in a 69-47 romp in Atlantic 10 action at the Charles E. Smith Center on Wednesday night.
GW (17-3, 5-1 A-10) stayed perfect at home (10-0) this season and extended its Smith Center win streak to 11 games by holding La Salle (11-9, 3-3 A-10) to its lowest offensive output of the season. The 47 points, 15 field goals and 27.3 percent shooting were also the lowest allowed by the Colonials this year.
 |
| Meet Kevin Larsen, GW's new "point guard" |
The Colonials put four players in double-digit scoring for the ninth time this season, led by senior Isaiah Armwood's sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and career-high tying 14 rebounds. Sophomore Kevin Larsen added 15 points and eight rebounds, graduate student Maurice Creek also had 15 points powered by three 3-pointers, and sophomore Patricio Garino chipped in 10 points and seven boards.
Armwood went to work early, scoring 12 of his 16 points before the mid-point of the first half as GW and La Salle battled through five ties, the last on Tyreek Duren's fast-break layin that brought the Explorers even, 19-19, with 8:01 before halftime.
 |
| Maurice Creek scored 15 points with 3 assists |
GW went on a game-changing 19-0 run from that point, holding La Salle without a point for nearly seven-and-a-half minutes en route to a 38-23 advantage at intermission. Garino and Larsen both scored six points and Creek buried his second triple of the half during the momentum-turning spurt.
The Explorers closed within 40-28 early in the second half, but that's as close as they would get as the Colonials' 1-3-1 zone defense flummoxed the visitors for the remainder of the contest. GW didn't allow a point for another six-and-a-half minutes and used a 10-0 run for a 50-28 lead with 13:44 left.
 |
| GW held La Salle to 27.3% shooting for the game |
Junior John Kopriva provided key baskets off the bench, and Creek converted a pair of timely jumpers to help the Colonials maintain a sizable cushion, avenge their lone league loss and end a five-game skid against the Explorers.
The Colonials went 11-of-21 from the field in each half to finish at 52.4 percent for the game, improving to 15-0 when shooting 40 percent or better this season. GW also moved to 12-1 this season when out-rebounding its opponent, posting a 42-30 edge on the boards with a combined 29 rebounds from Armwood, Larsen and Garino.
 |
| Joe McDonald (#22) was injured in the first half |
GW will go for its sixth straight A-10 win on Saturday when it visits Dayton at 12:30 p.m., for a national NBCSN broadcast.
