The George Washington men’s basketball team rebounded from its opening loss to Boston University to claim its first win of the season over Marist, 79-59.
Tony Taylor led the Colonials’ offense with his game-high 23 points, helping GWU head coach Karl Hobbs earn his 150th career victory on Wednesday. The game was a second-round matchup of the 2010 Dick’s Sporting Goods National Invitational Tournament Season Tip-off at Villanova’s Pavilion.
The Colonials (2-0) cashed in beyond the arc, knocking down seven 3-pointers in the first half alone to open up a 43-28 lead going into halftime.
Chris Fitzgerald tallied 16 points in his collegiate debut and was one of four GWU players to score in double figures. The freshman was red hot from long range, burying 4-of-8 attempts from 3-point land.
Marist (0-2) cut the deficit to three with nine minutes, 28 seconds remaining in the first half. The Colonials answered with an 8-0 run thanks to 3-pointers from Fitzgerald and Tim Johnson (10 points).
Candon Rusin led the Red Foxes with 15 points, while Anell Alexis added 13. The Marist offense was denied any opportunity to get in rhythm, shooting just 37 percent (19-of-51) from the field.
GWU continues on in the NIT as it awaits its next opponent in the consolation rounds beginning Tuesday. The Red Foxes resume play against Boston University on Friday night.
XU survives IPFW
Xavier dominated the overtime period, defeating Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, 76-66.
After the Mastodons took the lead late in the second half, Tu Holloway traveled the length of the court to complete an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Musketeers the lead with under four minutes remaining in regulation.
With the clock winding down, IPFW’s Trey McCorkle drained a jumper with six seconds left to force overtime.
It was all Xavier in the extra frame, as it dominated the Mastodons, 12-3, to claim its second consecutive win to open the season.
Holloway led all scorers with 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds (a career-high) in 42 minutes of play. Jeff Robinson chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds (both career-highs) while Mark Lyons dished out seven assists and added 11 points for the Musketeers.
The Mastodons (1-1) had four players score in double-figures, with Zach Plackemeier and Ben Botts each contributing with 13 points.
XU (2-0) travels to the U.S. Virgin Islands to participate in the Paradise Jam, tipping off against Iowa on Friday. IPFW returns to action as it travels to Cincinnati on Saturday.
Baylor too much for La Salle
La Salle gave Baylor all it could handle, despite the Bears emerging victorious, 74-64.
Aaric Murray led the way for the Explorers, netting 17 points and grabbing nine boards in the contest.
The No. 17 Bears (2-0) were playing without All-American LaceDarius Dunn, who was suspended for the game. Quincy Acy helped pick up the slack, tallying 25 points and 11 rebounds. The trio of Anthony Jones (14 points), Percy Jones III (12 points) and Acy combined for 51 points.
The Explorers cut the lead to two with 8:13 remaining in the second half on a Murray lay-in. Less than a minute later, the deficit was two again, after Sam Mills cashed in a 3-pointer to make the score 54-52.
That was as close as the visitors would get, as Baylor took over the game, pushing the lead to double-digits in the final minute of play to clinch the victory.
The Explorers defense forced 22 Bears turnovers, including 15 steals. Baylor’s front-line was too much for La Salle, as the big men for the Explorers could not contain Acy.
La Salle hosts Prairie View A&M on Thursday night while the Bears host Jackson State.
Stephen Sellner can be reached at [email protected].
