George Washington University Athletics
It's GW-Rhode Island for All the Marbles
3/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 10, 2007
No. 3 Seed George Washington (22-8, 11-5 Atlantic 10)
Game 31 • Atlantic 10 Championship Final
Dates: Saturday, Mar. 10, 2007 • Time: 6:05 pm (EST)
Location: Boardwalk Hall (12,000) • Atlantic City, NJ
Radio: WTWP 107.7 FM, 1500 AM (Byron Kerr)
Internet: live stats: GameTracker
TV: ESPN (Dave Barnett, Tim McCormick)
GW's All-Time A-10 Tournament Record: 21-29 (.420)
GW COACH: Karl Hobbs (Connecticut `85)
Record at GW: 112-64 (.636) 6th season
Atlantic 10 Record: 59-37 (.615) 6th season
Career Record: 112-64 (.636) 6th season
Hobbs' Record in the A-10 Tournament: 7-4 (.636)
Saturday's Final: GW advanced to tonight's final by defeating #7 seed Saint Louis, 60-40, Friday with smothering defense that held SLU to just 40 points on 32.5 percent (13-40) shooting and forced 20 turnovers. GW defeated #6 seed Saint Joseph's, 58-48, in Thursday's quarterfinal round. GW will face the No. 4 seed, Rhode Island, which advanced to tonight's final by virtue of its 79-71 victory over top-seeded Xavier Friday.
• GW leads the all-time series with URI, 24-21, including an 82-78 GW victory on Jan. 27 at URI's Ryan Center in the only meeting this season. URI center Darrell Harris did not play in that game due to injury. Hobbs has a 5-2 record against Rhode Island.
• GW is pursuing its second A-10 Tournament championship in three years. The Colonials are on a seven-game winning streak--its longest this season--and have won at least 22 games for the third straight season.
• This marks GW's fourth appearance in the A-10 Final (second under Hobbs) and first since winning the title in 2005. GW is 1-2 in A-10 finals.
• In GW's victory over Saint Louis Friday, Maureece Rice paced the Colonials' attack with 22 points on 9-14 FGs. Rice spent much of Thursday in Philadelphia attending the funeral for his grandmother. GW limited the Billikens to their season-low 16 first-half points. GW also held USC and Colgate to 16 first-half points this season. GW has allowed of average of just 44 points in its two A-10 Tournament games.
• GW has won 29 of its last 34 A-10 games and 46 of its last 55 regular-season games.
• Rhode Island enters tonight's game having won two straight after losing the last three games of the regular season.
A Closer Look at Rhode Island: Picked to finish 11th in the preseason poll, Rhode Island has surprised the pundits by playing its way into first place in the A-10 standings for a few weeks before settling for the fourth seed under A-10 Coach of the Year, Jim Baron. Baron is the only coach to earn A-10 Coach of the Year honors at two different schools after he won it in 2003 and 2007 at Rhode Island after also winning the title in 1995 while at St. Bonaventure. Baron has a 2-5 record vs. GW as URI coach and was 4-9 against the Colonials while coach of the Bonnies for a 6-14 overall mark against GW.
Next Game: The winner of tonight's final earns the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. All GW postseason games will be broadcast in the Washington area on Washington Post Radio 107.7 FM, 1500 AM and on www.GWsports.com.
