What: Men’s basketball (18-6, 7-4 A-10) at St. Bonaventure (16-6, 8-3 A-10)
Where: Reilly Center, St. Bonaventure, N.Y.
When: Saturday, Feb. 13 at 4 p.m.
Despite an uplifting road win at VCU a game before, men’s basketball was downright embarrassed by Saint Joseph’s at the Smith Center Wednesday night, 84–66, in what could have been a key Atlantic 10 win to bolster the Colonials’ NCAA Tournament resume.
Now having lost two of its last three at home, GW looks to find continued success on the road Saturday against the Bonnies. The Colonials have won two straight as the visitor and own a 5–3 road record, already matching their total number of road wins in 2014-2015 (5-10).
GW walloped St. Bonaventure at home 69–46 in the team’s only meeting last season, when the Bonnies went a modest 10-8 in A-10 play, as did the Colonials, and 18–13 overall.
But this year St. Bonaventure, picked to finish eighth in the 2015-2016 A-10 preseason poll, has surprised many by jumping to an 8-3 start in league play, good for fourth place in the conference just ahead of the 7-4 Colonials.
Here’s what to expect from the game:
The case for the Colonials:
GW’s gameplay Saturday will likely focus on pounding the ball inside.
The Colonials’ defense has been unreliable, but certainly possesses the tools to slow down the Bonnies. Where GW has been consistent, however, has been around the basket, whether it has been with drives to the rim from Patricio Garino or post moves from Tyler Cavanaugh or Kevin Larsen.
If St. Bonaventure is making threes, the Colonials should be able to counter by taking more shots via offensive rebounding. GW nabs 34.1 percent of available offensive rebounds while St. Bonaventure gives up 32.3, so the Colonials should get second-chance opportunities on about a third of their misses, which is high.
GW’s improved ball-handling should also go a long way against a guard-led team on the road. Graduate student guard Alex Mitola was the first player mentioned by Cavanaugh, Garino and head coach Mike Lonergan speaking to the media this week.
Mitola’s presence has helped keep the turnovers down for GW and has given point guard Joe McDonald a chance to play more minutes off the ball. If he does so against the Bonnies it could help make rebounding even more lopsided than it is likely to be already, given GW’s size advantage.
The case for the Bonnies:
While GW faced a formidable frontcourt pair against Saint Joseph’s, the Bonnies possess two of the best guards in the league.
Senior Marcus Posley (19.0 PPG) and sophomore Jaylen Adams (18.1 PPG) captain an offense averaging 77.4 points per game to GW’s 75.4, and enter Saturday’s contest as the third and eighth-highest scorers in the A-10. Cavanaugh comes in at No. 14.
The Bonnies shoot the third-best three-point shooting clip in the conference at 36.3 percent to GW’s 34.9, led by Adams who averages a deadly 45.8 percent from deep. The Colonials have struggled with perimeter defense as of late, conceding 9 or more long balls in three of its last five games.
Saint Bonaventure may also have the upper-hand in an area GW has prided itself on this season: free throw shooting. While the Colonials have attempted far more free throws, the Bonnies own the best clip from the charity stripe in the country at 78.2 percent. GW’s 75.1 percent is tied for 18th-best in the nation.
The squad, which is an impressive 10-2 at home, has already taken down three different A-10 foes that bested GW in Saint Louis, Richmond and Saint Joseph’s. The Bonnies’ decisions against the Hawks and Spiders were both by 10 points or more.
The Bottom Line:
If the Colonials still want a shot at the Big Dance next month, this game could be a must-win, but it won’t come easily against a talented Saint Bonaventure team. GW will need to shake off Wednesday’s deflating performance and execute on the road in order to stay relevant in the national college basketball conversation.
