George Washington University Athletics
GW Men's Basketball Hosts VCU on Saturday
2/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| George Washington (21-7, 10-5 A-10) vs. VCU (20-8, 12-3 A-10) | |
| Date, Time | Saturday, Feb. 27 | 12:30 p.m. ET |
| Location | Charles E. Smith Center | Washington, DC |
| Coverage | NBCSN | Listen Live | |
| Additional Information | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Notes |
| Pregame Tailgate | Raise High Tailgate at Alumni House |
WASHINGTON -- The GW men's basketball team hosts the first of its final two home games on Saturday as VCU visits the Charles E. Smith Center for a 12:30 p.m. tip. A sellout is expected at the Smith Center where fans will "Buff Out" the Rams with free t-shirts.
GW (21-7, 10-5 A-10) is riding a three-game winning streak after dispatching Richmond on the road, 73-61, Wednesday evening, and is set to close its home slate on Tuesday vs. George Mason before wrapping up the regular season on March 5 at Davidson.
The Colonials will be looking for a regular season sweep of VCU after defeating the Rams, 72-69, on Feb. 6 at the Siegel Center in Richmond. Patricio Garino led the way to victory in the first matchup, scoring a career-high 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting including 4-of-7 from three-point range.
Garino has been at his best in the month of February, averaging 16.7 points in seven games while shooting .537 from the field. The senior also continues to lead the Atlantic 10 in three-point shooting with a .467 clip.
In the win over Richmond, Tyler Cavanaugh turned in his seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds while Kevin Larsen turned in his 10th with 14 points and 10 boards. Joe McDonald also added 13 points and six rebounds.
The Colonials sit in fifth place in the A-10 standings at 10-5 with three games remaining for each league team. VCU is in a three-way tie for first with Saint Joseph's and Dayton at 12-3, while St. Bonaventure is fourth at 11-4. The top four teams in the standings receive a double-bye at the A-10 Tournament in Brooklyn, while seeds 5-10 get a single bye.
GW currently sits at 48 in the NCAA's RPI calculation while the Rams are 63. A win against VCU would give GW its sixth win of the season against a Top 100 RPI team (Virginia - 6, Seton Hall - 37, Davidson - 58, VCU, Penn State - 92), with another opportunity coming at Davidson in the regular season finale. GW's 21 total wins and .750 winning percentage rank third in the conference behind only Dayton and Saint Joseph's.
