The No.5-seeded George Washington Colonials (22-9) play the Saint Louis Billikens (11-20) in the second round of the A10 tournament at the Barclays Center. The game starts at 2:30 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10 and will air on NBS.
The Colonials were beaten by Davidson 87-80 the last time they played. Yuta Watanabe was the top performer for the Colonials, finishing with 22 points, six assists, and five rebounds. The Billikens, meanwhile, are coming off an 83-78 win over George Mason in the 1. Marcus Bartley led the game in scoring with 24 points on 8-for-10 shooting.
The battle on the backboards could prove decisive, pitting strength against strength. George Washington is among the nation’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking 18th in OR% at 34.6%. Meanwhile, Saint Louis ranks 34th in the nation at corralling defensive rebounds with a DR% of 72.0%.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Billikens won the first game 83-78. Bartley scored a game-high 24 points.
Notes
The George Washington Colonials rank 56th for their offensive rating of 112.0. The Saint Louis Billikens have a defensive rating of 104.1 (ranked 83rd).
The Saint Louis Billikens average 69.5 possessions per game and .948 points per possession. The George Washington Colonials earn fewer possessions with 67.1, but they score more points with 1.120.
The Saint Louis Billikens average an effective field goal percentage of 47.4% this season. The George Washington Colonials have split their games this season (7-7) when opponents have an eFG% of 47.4% or greater.
On average, the George Washington Colonials attempt 18.0 three point field goals per game and the Saint Louis Billikens attempt 19.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 three pointers, George Washington has a winning record of 8-5, while Saint Louis has an underachieving record of 5-8.
George Washington, the 70th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 38.4 rebounds per game. Saint Louis does worse, ranked 313th with 32.8.
Saint Louis ranks 344th in offensive rebounds, while George Washington ranks at 92nd in defensive rebounds.
On average, Saint Louis forces a turnover rate of 18.8%. When George Washington turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 7-4 record.