One final homecoming for Joe McDonald (#22) |
From our friends at GW Athletics...
Coming off an 81-74 road win over Duquesne on Wednesday, the George Washington men’s basketball team returns home on Sunday to host La Salle. The game will be televised nationally on NBC Sports Network.
Sunday’s matchup with La Salle marks the culmination of Homecoming weekend for GW. Prior to Sunday’s game, there will be a Slam Dunk Brunch at 9:30 AM at the Lerner Health & Wellness Center, with free food, drinks and activities. At halftime, the GW Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2016 will be honored, including former men's basketball players Corky Devlin and Dirkk Surles.
After the win over Duquesne, the Colonials are 19-7 overall and 8-5 in the Atlantic 10, a game behind St. Bonaventure for fourth place in the league standings. Dayton, Saint Joseph’s and VCU form a three-way tie for first with 11-2 records.
The Colonials, who are one of the most experienced teams in college basketball, relied upon their upperclassmen to overcome a 13-point second half deficit against the Dukes. Senior Joe McDonald scored all 14 of his points in the second half while classmate Kevin Larsen finished with a team-high 16 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.
Additionally, fourth-year players Tyler Cavanaugh (14 points, nine boards), Matt Hart (11 points, three rebounds, two assists) and Alex Mitola (nine points, 6-6 FTs) played key roles in the Colonials' win.
With a win vs. La Salle, GW would reach the 20-win mark for the third straight season and 14th time in program history. The Colonials recorded 22 wins a year ago and 24 in 2013-14.
GW dropped its lone meeting with the Explorers last season in Philadelphia, 63-50, but holds a 14-4 advantage in home games including a 69-47 win on January 29, 2014.
Notes:
• After Wednesday's win, GW moved up seven spots to No. 46 in the official NCAA RPI rankings.
• The Colonials have been at their best at home this season, sporting a 12-2 record and averaging 80.0 points per game while shooting .457 from the field.
• Hart became the fifth GW player to reach 1,000 career points with his third made field goal vs. Duquesne. Hart joins Patricio Garino, Kevin Larsen, Joe McDonald and Alex Mitola.