 opened a 42-17 lead at the break. He and Jerome had outscored the Colonials 27-26 when they both got an extended break midway through the second half with Virginia comfortably ahead.The Colonials (0-3) attempted to make a run in the second half, making six of their first nine shots, including four 3-pointers. They got within 42-25 by scoring the first eight points after halftime, but Virginia scored the next six and the visitors never threatened again.D. J. Williams had 17 points and Terry Nolan Jr. 13 for George Washington.The Colonials made only two of their first 14 shots as Virginia raced to a 21-4 lead over the first 11 minutes.Virginia's victory was its eighth in the last nine meetings.BIG PICTUREGeorge Washington: The Colonials blew a 22-0 lead in their opener, losing 77-74 to Stony Brook in overtime, and things have only gotten more difficult since. They followed with a 69-61 loss to Siena and, after the loss to Virginia, next play No. 18 Michigan in the Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament in Connecticut.Virginia: Freshman Kihei Clark continues to impress and has provided a spark for the Cavaliers in both games. He led the team with six assists in their opener against Towson and, at 5-foot-9 and very quick, makes the kind of pesky defensive plays that will quickly make him a favorite of the defense-loving Virginia fans.UP NEXTGeorge Washington: The Colonials are back on the road next Saturday facing No. 18 Michigan in the Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament in Connecticut.Virginia: The Cavaliers will complete a three-game homestand as they host Coppin State next Friday.---More college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/-Top25)
Nov 10, 2018CHARLOTTESVILLE -- After holding their 14th opponent over the last two seasons to 50 points or fewer in a 73-42 victory over Towson on Tuesday night, No. 5 Virginia returns to action Sunday when it hosts George Washington."It's a new year, it's a new team and it didn't feel any different to me than other starts of the year," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said after Tuesday's win. "There's improvement out here, but I was just excited." Dating back to last season, the Cavaliers have been ranked in the AP poll for 17 straight weeks and ranked in the top 10 for the past 13 polls.Junior guard Ty Jerome led all scorers in the win as he dropped in 20 points, making 6 of 9 3-point attempts. Redshirt sophomore De'Andre Hunter added 13 points and 10 rebounds as Virginia held Towson without a field goal for more than eight minutes in the second half.Freshman guard Kihei Clark shined in his debut for the Cavaliers. The 5-9 guard scored only four points, but dished out six assists while committing only one turnover."I had a little bit of jitters in warm-ups, but once I got onto the floor I was pretty calm," Clark said.Alabama transfer Braxton Key showed he will be a crucial contributor as well as he put in seven points and pulled down nine rebounds in his debut for Virginia."It was great, it's a blessing," Key said about his first game with the Cavaliers. "I wasn't expecting to play this season and I am grateful that I am playing and I'm going to take every opportunity that I have." The Colonials (0-2) enter Sunday's game at John Paul Jones Arena on an opposite note, losing their home opener to Stony Brook 77-74 in overtime Tuesday.The loss was surprising to some but to add salt to an already open wound, George Washington started the game on a 22-0 run and didn't allow their first field goal until the 9:17 mark of the first half.The Colonials followed that with a 69-61 defeat to Siena on Thursday night."We need to be able to make the winning plays, the tough plays," George Washington coach Maurice Joseph said after Thursday's loss. "To control our own destiny that is what we have to do. We can't rely on making shots. We need to be tougher across the board and we are going to address that as a staff." Sophomore guards Justin Mazzulla and Terry Nolan Jr. have paced the Colonials through two games, combining to average 26.5 points and 14 rebounds.George Washington will be playing its first game against a ranked opponent in nearly a year as it lost by 21 points to No. 15 Xavier on Nov. 23, 2017.The teams will meet for the 51st time Sunday with Virginia leading the series 26-24. The Colonials knocked off the Cavaliers 73-68 in their last meeting in 2015, ending a seven-game winning streak in the series for Virginia.The win over then-No. 6 Virginia was the Colonials last against a ranked team.The Cavaliers have won 19 of their last 20 games in Charlottesville.
Looking for More Picks?
You can browse all the individual handicapper picks below.
George Washington
Virginia
Pick Center
NCAAB
FINAL (11/11/2018)
ProfessorsPicks
