The Atlantic 10 bounced back on Tuesday after a brutal showing on Monday. The league went 3-1 after an abysmal 0-5 to start the week. Richmond beat a bad Hampton team 65-52 despite being outrebounded at home. T.J. Cline led the way with 17 points and 7 rebounds. George Mason got its first win over a Division 1 opponent this season, as it managed to take down Kent St. in the Gulf Coast Showcase. The Bonnies, after losing to Little Rock on Monday, got a dominant 102-71 win over Central Michigan. George Washington had the only loss of the night, as the Colonials fell 81-74 to the UAB Blazers.
1. Matt Mobley is a difference maker in this league
There is a guard on St. Bonaventure who has gone for 28 points twice on the young season, and no, his name is not Jaylen Adams. Mind you, Adams has been great for the Bonnies, but the Central Connecticut State transfer Matt Mobley has been putting on an absolute clinic for St. Bonaventure this season. This guy has been incredible. He’s had great success scoring the basketball for the Bonnies, and he’s been great on the boards as well. Mobley has also hit 15 threes through 4 games for the Bonnies. Matt’s 28 points against Central Michigan helped St. Bonaventure pound its opponent in the second round of the Lone Star Showcase.
If Matt Mobley can continue to play at such a high level offensively, you have to think that this St. Bonaventure team will be dangerous in the A-10 this year. However, the Bonnies struggled the other night against Arkansas Little Rock and don’t seem to have the strong non-conference schedule needed to make up for some early season losses. St. Bonaventure almost pulled off a huge win at Florida, but they’re going to have to win out the rest of the non-con season and perform very well in A-10 play if they want a chance at the NCAA Tournament.
2. Marquise Moore finally stepped up for the Patriots
George Mason needed a big performance from someone on Tuesday night, and they finally got it, as Marquise Moore showed up in a big way. The Patriots snuck past Kent St. 79-75. The Patriots got pounded in the opening round of the Gulf Coast Showcase against Houston, but they finally got their first win over a D1 opponent this season during the second round in Florida. Moore went for 23 points and 14 rebounds, his second double-double of the young season. Marquise Moore has been great scoring the basketball this year, but his work on the boards has been even more impressive; rebounding is key for a Mason team that lost a monster board-getter in Shevon Thompson this past offseason.
If Marquise Moore can continue to score at a high level for the Patriots, maybe they can salvage something from what looks to be a rough season. Otis Livingston II and Jaire Grayer had 20 and 14 points respectively on Tuesday. it seems that Mason can be a decent team when the three of these guys have it going on the offensive end. If one or more go cold, things can go south in a hurry. George Mason finishes up the Gulf Coast Showcase on Wednesday in a duel with Bradley for 5th place overall.
3. George Washington suffered a tough loss against UAB
George Washington struggled on Tuesday night as it allowed UAB to shoot 51.9% from the floor and take down the Colonials. Mind you, this is a very good Blazers’ team, but if the Colonials want to be a decent team this season, they’re going to have to win games like these. They struggled shooting the basketball on Tuesday night, going just 29.6% form three point range. Tyler Cavanaugh’s 19 points and 13 boards were not enough to give the Colonials the lift they needed; they’ll fall to 3-2 on the young season.
George Washington had two chances to pull out good wins this week but failed to win either. A win over UAB would’ve been decent, but a loss really doesn’t help things at all. George Washington actually looked great against Georgia for a majority of the game, but the Bulldogs took over late in the game. The way things look right now, this team really doesn’t have many consistent options outside of Cavanaugh and Watanabe. The Colonials will need to step it up and try to get a quality win or two before heading into conference play.
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