George Washington University
(2-0)
#6 VIRGINIA
(1-1)
GW Men's Hoops Upsets #6 Virginia, 73-68
11/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
WASHINGTON - Senior Patricio Garino and junior Tyler Cavanaugh combined for 36 points and four players scored in double figures as the George Washington men's basketball team knocked off No. 6 Virginia, 73-68, in front of a sold-out Charles E. Smith Center on Monday night in the opening game of ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon.
GW (2-0) shot 50-percent (12-for-24) from the field with three 3-pointers in the first half to take a 35-32 lead into halftime. The Colonials kept the pressure on in the second half, holding off a late Virginia (1-1) rally to secure the program's first win over a ranked opponent at home since Jan. 14, 1998 against then-No. 18 Xavier.
Garino poured in a game-high tying 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including one 3-pointer while going 3-for-3 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds and two assists.
Cavanaugh finished with 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting to go along with five rebounds. The junior went 8-for-8 from the charity stripe to pace the Colonials to 82.1 percent (23-of-28) effort for the game.
GW also received big contributions from Joe McDonald, who had 10 points and two timely 3-pointers, and Kevin Larsen who contributed a well-rounded game with nine points, seven rebounds and a game-high five assists. Paul Jorgensen also added 10 points and didn't have a turnover in a career-high 24 minutes of play.
The game saw five lead changes and four ties, with the teams going back and forth midway through the second half. A 3-pointer from Evan Nolte with 8:27 left made it 55-54 Virginia, but Garino provided an answer with a three-point play on GW's next possession that sparked a 10-0 run.
Forty seconds later, Garino gave the Colonials a 59-55 advantage with a tip-in and Cavanaugh followed with a layup as GW gained control.
Virginia was led by Michael Brogdon who scored a game-high 28 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including 18 in the second half. The Hoos were held to 40.3 percent shooting as a team while GW connected on 45.1 percent and had a 37-33 rebounding advantage.
The win is GW's first over an opponent ranked sixth or higher since defeating No. 1 Massachusetts, 86-76, on Feb. 24, 1996.
