George Washington University Athletics
Men's Basketball at La Salle Saturday at Noon
2/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2007
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
Game 26 • Atlantic 10 Conference game
Date: Saturday, Feb. 24, 2007 • Time: 12:00 pm (EST)
Location: Tom Gola Arena (4,000) • Philadelphia, PA
Radio: WTWP 107.7 FM, 1500 AM (Byron Kerr)
Internet: live stats: GameTracker, live video at GWsports.com
TV: CSTV Networks (Justin Kutcher, Vince Curran) tape delay on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic at 7 p.m.
Series: GW leads, 16-6 (tied, 3-3 at Tom Gola Arena)
GW COACH: Karl Hobbs (Connecticut `85)
Record at GW: 108-64 (.628) 6th season
Atlantic 10 Record: 56-37 (.602) 6th season
Career Record: 108-64 (.628) 6th season
Hobbs' Record vs. La Salle: 7-2
LA SALLE COACH: John Giannini (N. Central Coll. `84)
Record at LU: 27-26 (.509) 3rd season
Atlantic 10 Record: 14-15 (.483) 3rd season
Career Record: 320-175 (.646) 18th season
Rowan 168-38, Maine 125-111
Giannini's Record vs. GW: 0-3
Today's Game: GW faces La Salle Saturday for the first time this season and the 23rd meeting in the series. GW is 4-5 on the road this season while La Salle is 6-10 at home.
• GW is coming off a 68-49 victory over Richmond Wednesday at home for its second straight win following a four-game losing skid. Rob Diggs came off the bench to score his career-high 24 points to lead three Colonials in double figures against the Spiders. Maureece Rice (16 pts.) and Carl Elliott (14 pts., 10 rebs., 5 assts.) also had big games against Richmond. GW converted half of its FGs (25-50) and dominated the glass, 39-21.
• GW has won 24 of its last 29 A-10 games and 43 of its last 52 regular-season games.
• GW owns a commanding 16-6 lead in the all-time series with La Salle, including a 3-3 mark at Tom Gola Arena.
• La Salle (10-17, 3-10) has been idle for a week following a 59-55 loss to Saint Louis Saturday at Scottrade Center. Senior F Mike St. John led the Explorers in scoring with 11 points. La Salle shot 47.9 percent (23-48) for the game, but just 5-17 (29.4%) from three-point range. The Explorers outrebounded SLU, 33-22, but were outscored, 12-4, at the free throw line and had twice as many turnovers (14) as the Billikens.
A Closer Look at La Salle: La Salle has lost six of its last seven games coming into today's contest and, at 3-10 in league play, are in danger of being one of the two teams not making the trip to Atlantic City for the A-10 Championship. Under third-year coach John Giannini, 44, the Explorers are second in the league in rebounding margin (+6.3) and fourth in FG% at .467. Freshman G Rodney Green leads all A-10 freshmen with a .553 FG% and averages 13.1 ppg and 5.1 rebounds a game. Junior G Darnell Harris' 14.3 ppg leads the Explorers and his 73 threes ranks third in A-10. LU's turnover margin of -3.3 ranks last in the league. Eight different Explorers have at least 22 assists, led by Ruben Guillandeux's 67. LU is 6-10 at Tom Gola Arena this season, which includes a 77-72 victory over Temple on Feb. 14. The Explorers are 58-41 (.586) all-time at "The Tom."
Next Game: GW travels to Charlotte Thursday, Mar. 1, to face the 49ers in the second meeting this season. The game tips off at 7 p.m. at Halton Arena and will be televised nationally by ESPN2 and broadcast in the Washington area on Washington Post Radio 107.7 FM, 1500 AM and on www.GWsports.com. GW defeated the 49ers, 76-68, back on Jan. 20 in Washington.
