George Washington University Athletics
GW Men's Basketball to Host Hofstra in NIT
3/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| George Washington (23-10) vs. Hofstra (24-9) | |
| Date, Time | Wednesday, March 16 | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Location | Charles E. Smith Center | Washington, DC |
| Coverage | ESPN3 | AM 1500, TuneIn |
| Additional Information | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Notes |
| Tickets | Available here |
WASHINGTON -- A postseason participant for the third straight year, GW plays host to Hofstra in a first round NIT game Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Charles E. Smith Center. The game will be streamed on ESPN3.
The Colonials are making their sixth all-time appearance in the Postseason NIT, having captured their first win in the event last year when they defeated Pittsburgh in the first round, before falling to No. 1 seed Temple in the second round. Wednesday marks the first time GW has hosted a NIT game.
GW's 23 wins this season are tied for the fifth-most in school history, and a win on Wednesday would mark a tie for the second most. The school record is 27, achieved in 2005-06.
GW has been led this season by an experienced starting lineup which features three seniors, a fourth-year junior and a sophomore. Forward Tyler Cavanaugh leads the Colonials in scoring at 16.4 ppg and has reached double figures in every game.
Swingman Patricio Garino is the top three-point shooter in the Atlantic 10 at .442, while averaging a career-best 13.9 ppg. Forward Kevin Larsen ranks second in the A-10 with 12 double-doubles, and is coming off a near triple-double vs. Saint Joseph's in which he had 10 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
Hofstra comes in with a 24-9 record, having tied for the regular season Colonial Athletic Association Championship before falling to UNC Wilmington in the conference tournament title game. All five starters are averaging double figure in scoring as the Pride score 78.8 points per game.
GW and Hofstra have met three times in history, with the Colonials holding a 2-1 advantage, including an 80-56 win in 2012 and a 69-56 victory in 2013.
The winner of Wednesday's game will face either No. 1 seed Monmouth or No. 8 seed Bucknell, who play Wednesday at 7:30, between March 17-21.
Quick Hits
- Cavanaugh could become GW's sixth 1,000-point scorer with 13 against Hofstra as he enters the game with 987 in his career. He would join Garino (1,473), Larsen (1,391), Alex Mitola (1,183), Joe McDonald (1,100) and Matt Hart (1,016).
- Larsen, who ranks sixth in school history in rebounding (918), needs six more to pass Mike Hall (2002-06) for fifth place. The senior also owns the school record for games played (131).
- The Colonials are in the midst of their second-best three-year stretch in school history, in terms of total wins. GW has 69 wins since the start of the 2013-14 season, second only to the 72 wins recorded between 2004-07.
