George Washington University Athletics
No. 17/19 GW Welcomes Saint Louis at 8 pm
1/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2006
Game 12 • Atlantic 10 Conference game
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006 • Time: 8:05 pm (EST)
Location: Smith Center (5,000) • Washington, DC
Radio: WMET 1160, WAGE 1200 AM (Byron Kerr)
TV: Charter Comm. CCIN (Frank Cusumano, PBP/Joe Wiley, Analyst)
Series: First meeting
The Coaches:
GW COACH: Karl Hobbs (Connecticut `85)
Record at GW: 74-54 (.578) 5th season
Atlantic 10 Record: 33-32 (.508) 5th season
Career Record: 74-54 (.578) 5th season
Hobbs' Record vs. Saint Louis: 0-0
SLU COACH: Brad Soderberg (UM-Stevens Pt. `85)
Record at SLU: 51-54 (.486) 4th season
Atlantic 10 Record: 1-0 (1.000) 1st season
Career Record: 182-127 (.589) 12th season
Loras 79-45, South Dakota St. 36-28, Wisconsin 16-10
Soderberg's Record vs. GW: 0-0
Tonight's Game: No. 17/19 George Washington (10-1, 1-0 A-10) hosts new A-10 member Saint Louis (7-6, 1-0 A-10) in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
• The Saint Louis Billikens, coached by Brad Soderberg, are the newest member of the Atlantic 10 Conference (along with Charlotte). SLU is led by Greek C Ian Vouyoukas' 15.0 ppg and 8.8 rpg. The other Billiken averaging double figures is 6-4 freshman G Tommie Liddell (11.6 ppg, 6.1 rebounds). Liddell is a three-time A-10 Rookie of the Week selection and one of two St. Louis natives on the roster. SLU is 1-4 on the road this season with a victory at Oakland. Among SLU's six losses are a three-point loss to No. 6/7 Gonzaga at home and a 12-point setback to No. 20/20 North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kennesaw State is the lone common opponent and both the Colonials and Billikens defeated the Owls handily. SLU has been without its top three-point threat, Anthony Drejaj, for the last three games. Drejaj was shooting .484 from long range before being sidleined with an injury prior to the Gonzaga game. The Billikens are solid from the FT line shooting .733 (187-255) as a team.
• GW is coming off a 79-73 overtime victory over Marshall Saturday in Huntington, WV. In that game, GW's Danilo Pinnock scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Carl Elliott matched his career-high with 18 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer in regulation.
• Saint Louis is coming off a narrow 60-58 victory over St. Bonaventure Jan. 3 at home. SLU's Ian Vouyoukas scored a team-high 18 points with nine rebounds while Danny Brown added 16 (four threes) and Justin Johnson added 12.
• SLU has been idle for the last eight days. The victory over St. Bonaventure marked the Billikens' first A-10 Conference game.
• SLU has followed each victory with a loss through its first 13 games this season. If that trend holds true for tonight's game, it bodes well for the Colonials since SLU won its last game.
• Tonight's game is the second half of a women's/men's doubleheader following the GW women's game vs. No. 19/20 Temple.
• GW jumped three spots to No. 17 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll (released Jan. 9) and remained at 19th for the second straight week in the latest USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll. GW's No. 12 ranking for the week of Dec. 26 in both polls was GW's highest since the week of Jan. 3, 1956 when the Colonials were ranked 7th.
Next Game: GW hosts Saint Joseph's Saturday in an A-10 game at 2:00 p.m. at Smith Center. The game will not be televised but will air live in the Washington area on WMET 1160, WAGE 1200 AM as well as via www.GWsports.com.
