George Washington University Athletics
Yuta Watanabe, Yegor Mescheriakov and Kevin Larsen
Colonials Competing Internationally
9/14/2018 1:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Yuta Watanabe leads Japan to victory; Kevin Larsen and Yegor Mescheriakov square off
A trio of GW men's basketball alums were in action representing their home countries in international FIBA competitions on Thursday. Yuta Watanabe suited up for Japan in an Asian Qualifier for the 2019 Basketball World Cup, while Kevin Larsen and Denmark faced Belarus, for which Yegor Mescheriakov is an assistant coach, in a FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Pre-Qualifier.
Watanabe and Japan take 85-70 win over Kazakhstan
In his return to the Japanese National Team, Watanabe made his presence felt from the jump as he scored 13 points in the first half to help the Akatsuki Five cruise to an 85-70 win over Kazakhstan in a 2019 Basketball World Cup qualifier. The 6-foot-8 guard connected on 7-of-15 field goal attempts while adding a couple of blocks in 28 minutes of play.
Japan, which has won three straight Asian Qualifiers fixtures, next takes on Iran on Sept. 17 in Tokyo. With five total games left in qualifying, the Japanese are in fourth place in their group and need a top-three finish to advance to the Wold Cup.
Larsen and Mescheriakov face off in double-overtime thriller
A pair of Colonials were on opposite ends of the court in what turned out to be a thrilling finish, as Larsen and Denmark went on the road to face Mescheriakov and Belarus in a FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Second Round Pre-Qualifier. Down 11 with five minutes to play, Denmark came back to force overtime where it took a buzzer-beating three-pointer to tie the game and go to a second extra period. There, the Danes were able to pull out a 98-94 win to snap a four-game losing streak to Belarus, while improving to 5-0 in Pre-Qualifier fixtures. In a starting role, Larsen logged 43 minutes with eight points and seven rebounds.
Larsen and Denmark next play on Sept. 16 vs. Sweden, while Mescheriakov and Belarus are idle until Nov. 29. A replay of the game can be seen here.
Argentina to face rival Mexico Friday night without Garino
Heading into a Friday night showdown with rival Mexico, Argentina is in control of Group A in the Americas Qualifier with a 5-1 record as they continue on their quest to qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. However, they'll be without GW alum Patricio Garino, who suffered a hamstring injury in preseason training with his Spanish pro club, Baskonia. The 6-foot-6 swingman was a starter in Argentina's most recent qualifying game, a 102-58 blowout of Uruguay back on July 1.
Watanabe and Japan take 85-70 win over Kazakhstan
In his return to the Japanese National Team, Watanabe made his presence felt from the jump as he scored 13 points in the first half to help the Akatsuki Five cruise to an 85-70 win over Kazakhstan in a 2019 Basketball World Cup qualifier. The 6-foot-8 guard connected on 7-of-15 field goal attempts while adding a couple of blocks in 28 minutes of play.
Japan, which has won three straight Asian Qualifiers fixtures, next takes on Iran on Sept. 17 in Tokyo. With five total games left in qualifying, the Japanese are in fourth place in their group and need a top-three finish to advance to the Wold Cup.
😱What a way to mark your return ↩️ @yutawatanabe12 13PTS in just the 1st! #FIBAWC #ThisIsMyHouse @JAPANBASKETBALL
— Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) September 13, 2018
💻 https://t.co/eod3IQWyfT
📖 https://t.co/PRvabOEApD
📱 https://t.co/6BBBf6oObD pic.twitter.com/fba7LIkWf9
Larsen and Mescheriakov face off in double-overtime thriller
A pair of Colonials were on opposite ends of the court in what turned out to be a thrilling finish, as Larsen and Denmark went on the road to face Mescheriakov and Belarus in a FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Second Round Pre-Qualifier. Down 11 with five minutes to play, Denmark came back to force overtime where it took a buzzer-beating three-pointer to tie the game and go to a second extra period. There, the Danes were able to pull out a 98-94 win to snap a four-game losing streak to Belarus, while improving to 5-0 in Pre-Qualifier fixtures. In a starting role, Larsen logged 43 minutes with eight points and seven rebounds.
Larsen and Denmark next play on Sept. 16 vs. Sweden, while Mescheriakov and Belarus are idle until Nov. 29. A replay of the game can be seen here.
Argentina to face rival Mexico Friday night without Garino
Heading into a Friday night showdown with rival Mexico, Argentina is in control of Group A in the Americas Qualifier with a 5-1 record as they continue on their quest to qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. However, they'll be without GW alum Patricio Garino, who suffered a hamstring injury in preseason training with his Spanish pro club, Baskonia. The 6-foot-6 swingman was a starter in Argentina's most recent qualifying game, a 102-58 blowout of Uruguay back on July 1.
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