George Washington University
6-1
#24 Cincinnati
7-0
GW Men's Hoops Falls to #24 Cincinnati, 61-56
11/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- In a game that saw 12 lead changes and 11 ties, the George Washington men's basketball team ultimately dropped its first decision of the season, 61-56, to No. 24 Cincinnati in the Championship Game of the Barclays Center Classic on Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn.
Patricio Garino (team-high 15 points) and Tyler Cavanaugh (13) were named to the All-Tournament team following standout performances throughout the four-game event for the 6-1 Colonials.
In Saturday's finale, Garino continued his stellar shooting with a 3-of-4 performance from 3-point range. GW connected on 11-of-22 triples in the contest, with Joe McDonald also connecting on three in an 11-point outing as the third Colonial in double figures in scoring. Kevin Larsen paced GW with team-highs of seven rebounds and four assists.
Neither team led by more than six points in the game, which saw the score tied for nearly nine minutes of action. The last tie came at 54-54 when Cincinnati's Troy Caupain converted a driving layup with 1:38 to play. He put the Bearcats on top for good as Tyler Cavanaugh was whistled for a blocking foul that sent Caupain to the foul line for a three-point play.
From there, the teams traded buckets and Cincinnati knocked down a pair of free throws to make it 59-56 with 15 seconds left, and Paul Jorgensen's attempt to tie it with a long-range 3-pointer misfired.
Cincinnati (7-0) was led by Caupain's game-high 16 points, while Gary Clark snagged a game-high 11 rebounds to help the Bearcats hold a 38-31 advantage on the glass.
The Colonials held a 30-27 halftime lead thanks to hot shooting that saw them knock down 8-of-11 3-pointers.
GW stayed hot to start the second half, but ultimately made just four trips to the foul line in the game while Cincinnati went 12 times in overcoming its second-half deficit.
GW now has until Wednesday to prepare for its next game, when the Big East's Seton Hall Pirates come to the Smith Center.
