George Washington University Athletics
GW Men's Basketball Defeats Japan, 81-66
8/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
OSAKA, Japan -- Playing in front of his home fans for the first time in three years, Yuta Watanabe scored 15 points for the George Washington men's basketball team as it kicked off its foreign tour of the country with an 81-66 win over the Japanese National Team on Saturday.
Tyler Cavanaugh led all scorers with 27 points while connecting on 4-of-7 from 3-point range, and both he and Watanabe grabbed nine boards apiece. Sophomore Jordan Roland also reached double figures with 10 points in 25 minutes, while adding seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Watanabe, who earlier this summer played for the Japanese National Team in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament, electrified the crowd with a pair of slams including a putback dunk off a missed three. It marked the first time the rising junior had played before a crowd in his home country since 2013 with the national team.
"Today felt great," said Watanabe. "I expected the support, but for them to cheer for me the way they did even though we were playing against the national team was really cool. I thought I played well tonight and I think they enjoyed watching me."
Setting the tone early, Watanabe knocked down a three just two minutes into the game and GW held a 20-13 lead after the first period. Cavanaugh, who had 15 in the first half, scored seven straight early in the second quarter to make it a double-digit lead, and GW increased the advantage to as much as 22 at one point. Leading by 13 at halftime, the Colonials cruised to the victory in the second half.
The Colonials will travel from Osaka to Tokyo via bullet train on Sunday, then spend Monday touring the city before the next game on Tuesday evening, while Watanabe will continue to relish the opportunity to tour his country with GW.
"I think my teammates are enjoying being in Japan," said Watanabe. "I was happy we went to a Shabu-shabu restaurant on Friday because that is one of my favorite Japanese foods, and everyone really loved it. I'm enjoying myself and I'm happy that everyone else is enjoying it too."
