What: Men’s basketball (18-7, 7-5 A-10) at Duquesne (15-10, 5-7 A-10)
Where: A.J. Palumbo Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
When: Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.
After losing back-to-back games for the first time this season, at home to Saint Joseph’s and at St. Bonaventure, men’s basketball travels to Duquesne in search of a much-needed Atlantic 10 road win.
Despite a late-game surge in Olean, N.Y. Saturday, the Colonials were edged by the Bonnies 64–57 and dropped to fifthplace in the A-10. With the loss, GW damaged its chances at an at-large NCAA Tournament bid, but still has a shot if it can finish strong in its last six games.
That stretch begins Wednesday with the Dukes in Pittsburgh, which will mark the second meeting between the two sides this year. Duquesne will be seeking revenge for a dominant, 91–64 GW victory at the Smith Center on Jan. 9.
But in the Colonials’ last visit to the Palumbo Center, they were not as fortunate. On Feb. 11, 2015 the Dukes bested GW in the Steel City behind a deadly outside-shooting effort, 78–62. That loss spurred a four-game losing streak that all but ended GW’s chances at reaching the Big Dance in the 2014–2015 campaign.
The case for the Colonials:
Redshirt junior forward Tyler Cavanaugh scored a career-high 30 points when his team hosted the Dukes last month, and completed a double-double with 10 rebounds. Cavanaugh leads the Colonials with an average of 16.6 points per game, while senior swingman Patricio Garino adds 13.9.
Senior forward Kevin Larsen, averaging a team-high 8.4 rebounds, also had a career performance in the Jan. 9 clash with 25 points and 11 boards. Additionally, the Colonials hit a season-best 13 three-pointers against the Dukes and received an impressive 31 points from its bench, which has struggled to produce as of late.
An inconsistent GW defense must return to form against the highest-scoring offense in the league. The Colonials, who held Duquesne’s two star guards to a combined 18 points in January, are conceding an average of 69.0 points per game to the Dukes’ 77.0, but have allowed an average of 71.2 in its last five games.
Rebounding and free-throw shooting may also prove crucial for GW. The Colonials own the third-best rebounding defense and shooting clip from the line in the A-10. In the 37-point victory last month, GW outrebounded Duquesne 50–28, and went 20-for-24 from the charity stripe.
The case for the Dukes:
Senior guards Derrick Colter and Micah Mason, averaging 18.1 and 17.3 points per game, respectively, lead a skilled offense that averages a league-leading 80.0 points per game.
The squad shoots a 40.5 percent clip from the field, third-best in the A-10, and 36.0 percent from three-point range to GW’s 34.3, which has been even more lackluster in recent games.
If Duquesne can get hot from deep like they did last year, GW could be in trouble. The team was held to just 5-of-22 at the Smith Center, but on its home floor it could be a completely different story.
The Dukes also boast one of the best assists numbers in the conference, averaging 16.0 to the Colonials’ 13.6, despite turning the ball over an average of 14.0 times per game, the second-worst giveaway numbers in the league.
While GW is favored in this game, Duquesne is no stranger to keeping contests with tough competitors close. The Dukes nearly upset No. 15 Dayton (21-3, 11-1 A-10) in Dayton last week, but fell 76–74, and have already beaten St. Bonaventure once and Saint Louis twice this season, all teams that have edged GW this year.
The bottom line:
This matchup is a perfect opportunity for GW to regain its fading momentum heading into the final A-10 stretch, but a loss could also serve as the nail in the coffin for the Colonials’ hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. The Dukes should not be overlooked, but if GW comes out focused and determined they will most likely capture the W.
