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| After GW shoots down Saint Louis, its coach takes shots at Monmouth | After GW shoots down Saint Louis, its coach takes shots at Monmouth |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BROOKLYN — When the George Washington men’s basketball team pulled off a 73-68 upset win over Virginia at Smith Center on Nov. 16, it was supposed to be the kind of victory to help propel the Colonials back to the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years. | |
| Instead, that victory has become a nagging reminder of what George Washington was capable of when playing at its best — something that hasn’t happened nearly enough in recent weeks. That’s why, even after the fifth-seeded Colonials knocked off No. 13-seed Saint Louis, 73-65, in the second round of the Atlantic 10 tournament Thursday afternoon at Barclays Center, they still have plenty of work to do if they want to go dancing next weekend. | |
| “If we lose [Friday to Saint Joseph’s], we’re going to the NIT,” George Washington Coach Mike Lonergan said. “I have no problem saying that, and our goal will be to try to get to Madison Square Garden” for the National Invitation Tournament semifinals. | “If we lose [Friday to Saint Joseph’s], we’re going to the NIT,” George Washington Coach Mike Lonergan said. “I have no problem saying that, and our goal will be to try to get to Madison Square Garden” for the National Invitation Tournament semifinals. |
| [Georgetown hits the end with loss to Villanova in Big East tournament] | [Georgetown hits the end with loss to Villanova in Big East tournament] |
| But, as you might expect, Lonergan doesn’t think the Colonials (23-9) have quite as much work to do to earn an NCAA tournament berth as many others do. The coach made his case after the game that if George Washington can beat Saint Joseph’s on Friday afternoon, that should be enough. He rattled off not just the win over Virginia, but also victories over Seton Hall, Tennessee and Penn State in nonconference play, as well as winning at Virginia Commonwealth during A-10 play. | But, as you might expect, Lonergan doesn’t think the Colonials (23-9) have quite as much work to do to earn an NCAA tournament berth as many others do. The coach made his case after the game that if George Washington can beat Saint Joseph’s on Friday afternoon, that should be enough. He rattled off not just the win over Virginia, but also victories over Seton Hall, Tennessee and Penn State in nonconference play, as well as winning at Virginia Commonwealth during A-10 play. |
| He also made several pointed references to Monmouth, one of the stories of the college basketball season because of early-season victories over UCLA and Georgetown, as well as its wonderfully entertaining choreographed bench celebrations. But after the Hawks (27-7) lost to Iona in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s championship game, they are a potential at-large bid competitor for the Colonials. | He also made several pointed references to Monmouth, one of the stories of the college basketball season because of early-season victories over UCLA and Georgetown, as well as its wonderfully entertaining choreographed bench celebrations. But after the Hawks (27-7) lost to Iona in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s championship game, they are a potential at-large bid competitor for the Colonials. |
| [Bubble watch: Syracuse was among biggest losers on Wednesday] | [Bubble watch: Syracuse was among biggest losers on Wednesday] |
| And, in Lonergan’s eyes, a clearly inferior one. | And, in Lonergan’s eyes, a clearly inferior one. |
| “I don’t really listen to all that noise, but if we win tomorrow, we’re in great position,” Lonergan said. “Some of those other teams, you see on the TV, they can’t do anything else. They’re done. | “I don’t really listen to all that noise, but if we win tomorrow, we’re in great position,” Lonergan said. “Some of those other teams, you see on the TV, they can’t do anything else. They’re done. |
| “I came from the America East [six seasons as head coach at Vermont], but I’ll tell you what: I’ll put our wins against Monmouth’s wins any day of the week. They’re a big story, but I truly believe if we do the right things here, win one game or two, for the people in that room who know basketball, it’s not going to be about who has the best player in the country or the bench or that stuff. It’s going to be about deserving teams.” | “I came from the America East [six seasons as head coach at Vermont], but I’ll tell you what: I’ll put our wins against Monmouth’s wins any day of the week. They’re a big story, but I truly believe if we do the right things here, win one game or two, for the people in that room who know basketball, it’s not going to be about who has the best player in the country or the bench or that stuff. It’s going to be about deserving teams.” |
| [Notre Dame rallies to beat Duke in ACC tournament thriller]] | [Notre Dame rallies to beat Duke in ACC tournament thriller]] |
| The biggest knocks on George Washington’s résumé are losses at DePaul, which went 9-22, by 21 points in December, as well as a road loss against the same Saint Louis team they beat Thursday. And, despite the fact George Washington led from wire-to-wire Thursday, it looked at times like the Billikens (11-21) might upset the Colonials again. | The biggest knocks on George Washington’s résumé are losses at DePaul, which went 9-22, by 21 points in December, as well as a road loss against the same Saint Louis team they beat Thursday. And, despite the fact George Washington led from wire-to-wire Thursday, it looked at times like the Billikens (11-21) might upset the Colonials again. |
| For most of the second half, George Washington held a lead somewhere between five and 10 points. Every time the Billikens would try to get back into the game, the Colonials came up with a response — usually from sophomore guard Yuta Watanabe, who finished with 19 points, including 11 in the second half, on 7-for-10 shooting. | |
| It was a pass from Watanabe, however, that finally put the nail in the coffin for the Colonials, as he hit senior forward Patricio Garino on the wing for a three-pointer that made it 66-57 George Washington with just under three minutes remaining and ensured the Colonials would live to fight another day. | It was a pass from Watanabe, however, that finally put the nail in the coffin for the Colonials, as he hit senior forward Patricio Garino on the wing for a three-pointer that made it 66-57 George Washington with just under three minutes remaining and ensured the Colonials would live to fight another day. |
| Tyler Cavanaugh added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Joe McDonald had nine points and 10 assists. | Tyler Cavanaugh added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Joe McDonald had nine points and 10 assists. |
| The strong effort from the Billikens wasn’t enough for them to save Jim Crews’s job. Saint Louis made the extremely unusual move of announcing that they’d decided to fire the coach before he even took the podium for his postgame news conference. | The strong effort from the Billikens wasn’t enough for them to save Jim Crews’s job. Saint Louis made the extremely unusual move of announcing that they’d decided to fire the coach before he even took the podium for his postgame news conference. |
| Saint Louis went 77-56 in four seasons under Crews — two NCAA tournament appearances followed by consecutive 11-win seasons. | Saint Louis went 77-56 in four seasons under Crews — two NCAA tournament appearances followed by consecutive 11-win seasons. |
| For George Washington, however, there were more pressing matters at hand; specifically, Friday’s game against Saint Joseph’s, which pounded George Washington by 18 at the Smith Center last month in the only meeting between the teams this season. | For George Washington, however, there were more pressing matters at hand; specifically, Friday’s game against Saint Joseph’s, which pounded George Washington by 18 at the Smith Center last month in the only meeting between the teams this season. |
| “Saint Joe’s took our lunch money last time we played them,” Cavanaugh said. “So we’ve got to carry this over to tomorrow.” | “Saint Joe’s took our lunch money last time we played them,” Cavanaugh said. “So we’ve got to carry this over to tomorrow.” |