It was a very busy day in the Atlantic 10 as 5 riveting games tipped off from around the league. George Washington went to Harvard and was able to pull out the road win 77-74 behind Tyler Cavanaugh’s 20 points and 7 rebounds. Princeton got off to a hot start against VCU, shocking the Rams at the Siegel Center, but they fought all the way back and ended up winning comfortably, 81-70. Davidson picked up its 4th straight win as it beat Mercer 78-57 on the road. Rhode Island went on the road against a tough Valparaiso team but lost 65-62. Saint Louis dropped a home game to Samford 68-64 to close out the night.
1. JeQuan Lewis continues to impress
JeQuan Lewis had his best game of the season on Tuesday night as he was a huge reason the Rams were able to take down Princeton. The senior guard went for a season-high 23 points and 12 assists; he also went 8/8 from the free throw line and 3/4 from long range. Though Lewis also added 6 turnovers, he was nevertheless efficient with the basketball and an offensive threat for the Rams against the Tigers.
Combine the play of Lewis with the impressive look of Jonathan Williams, and you have a backcourt that’s fighting to be one of the best in the Atlantic 10. Lewis has really been pulling his weight for a Rams team that picked up its 6th win of the season on Tuesday night. It’s also worth noting that Mo Alie-Cox had a great night on both ends of the floor; the senior went for 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
2. Arnaldo Toro had a solid performance for an injured George Washington team
Arnaldo Toro stepped up and had a solid performance to help take down Harvard on Tuesday night. The freshman forward from Puerto Rico has been consistently scoring in single digits, but his rebounding has been most impressive. Toro went for 8 points and led the team with 10 boards in George Washington’s 77-74 win over Harvard. With Yuta Watanabe out 3 weeks with an injury, rebounding is going to be key for this Colonials team. Arnaldo Toro stepped up and showed that he can be a factor on Tuesday night.
The Colonials snapped a three game losing streak beating Harvard on Tuesday night. Though Watanabe’s absence will hurt George Washington, guys like Toro stepping up and showing that they can be effective replacements will help keep this team afloat before his return. George Washington faces South Florida on Saturday as it returns home to Foggy Bottom.
3. Rhode Island falls just short on the road to Valparaiso
The Rams had a chance to pull one out late over Valparaiso on the road thanks to some miscues by the Crusaders, but the Rams were unable to get the win as they fell 65-62. This game definitely had some questionable officiating that seemed to hurt the Rams a bit more often, but that shouldn’t discredit how well Valparaiso played. Alec Peters was a superstar as he went for 27 points and 9 rebounds. Jared Terrell had a great night for Rhode Island with 21 points, but E.C. Matthews struggled with 6 points on just 3/9 shooting.
This may seem like a bad loss, but it certainly is not. The Crusaders are almost definitely an NCAA Tournament whether or not they win their conference tournament, and any true road game is never easy. This was a great opportunity for a solid win, but the Rams fell just short after fighting really hard down the stretch.
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