The No.4-seeded George Washington Colonials (25-10) take on the No.2-seeded Florida Gators (21-14) in the third round of the NIT tournament at Charles E. Smith Center. The game gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 23 and will air on ES2 and ES3.
The Colonials were victorious over Monmouth 87-71 in the 2. Patricio Garino played well, contributing 19 points, six rebounds, and three steals for the Colonials. The Gators, meanwhile, are coming off a 74-66 win over Ohio State in the 2. Kevarrius Hayes stood out for Florida, accumulating 14 points, three rebounds, and one steal.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. George Washington ranks 31st in the nation in defensive efficiency (102.1), while Florida is 11th (98.4). Also, the Gators commit the 11th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 16.3%), while the gambling defense of the Colonials causes the 28th-most (opponents’ TO% of 17.7%).
Notes
The George Washington Colonials have a defensive rating of 102.1 (ranked 31st), while the Florida Gators have an offensive rating of 107.0 (ranked 147th).
The Florida Gators average a field goal percentage of 42.6% this season. The George Washington Colonials have split their games this season (7-7) when opponents have a FG% of 42.6% or greater.
On average, George Washington attempts 18.0 three pointers and Florida attempts 22.0. Both teams have winning records when they have 20 or more three point attempts. The George Washington Colonials sit at 10-6 and the Florida Gators are 16-8.
Florida, the 75th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.3 per game. George Washington does worse, ranked 188th with 3.3.
George Washington ranks 87th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, Florida ranks 60th.
The Florida Gators make an average of 6.5 steals per game. When the George Washington Colonials give up 6 or more steals, they are a winning 14-7.
