By PAUL GOTHAM
Thirteen Atlantic 10 teams are in action over the weekend including three nationally-televised games. Here’s your guide.
UMass Minutemen (6-2) at Providence (7-2) Noon/Saturday Fox Sports 1
UMass looks to make it two in a row and five of six. To do so they will have to beat a Providence team holding opponents to 58.3 points per game (11th in the country). Donte Clark (14.8 ppg) leads the Minutemen scoring 73 a game while forcing 18.3 turnovers (11th in the country) and collecting 10.3 steals (fifth) per game. Luwane Pipkins tops the nation with 3.88 thefts. Reigning Big East Player of the Week Rodney Bullock paces the Friars with 20.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Rhode Island (6-3) at Houston (6-2) 1:30 pm ESPNU
Contrasting styles meet when Rhode Island (32nd in the country holding opposing teams to 28.5 percent behind the arc) takes on Houston (third in the nation hitting 44.4 percent behind the arc). URI may be without the services of leading scorer and rebounder Hassan Martin (16.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.9 bpg) who is dealing with a right quadriceps injury. Jared Terrell is scoring 14.2 per game for Dan Hurley‘s Rams. Rob Gray Jr. nets 19.8 per game for Houston. The Cougars are eighth in the country committing just 10.3 turnovers. The Rams average 10.8 mishandles (t-18th).
La Salle (4-3) vs. Georgetown (5-4) 2:00 pm ESPN 2
B.J. Johnson (17.9 points) and Jordan Price (17.1) lead a La Salle team ranking 32nd in the nation hitting 9.6 three-pointers and 14th in the country connecting on 41.6 percent of their long-range opportunities. Georgetown holds its opponents to 6.3 treys a game at a clip of 30.6 percent. The Hoyas’ Rodney Pryor tied a career-high with seven 3s in GU’s 96-44 win over Coppin State. Pryor scores 20.8 per game.
George Mason (7-3) at Penn (3-4) 2 pm
Winners of six straight, the Patriots own the longest winning streak in the A-10. Last time out, Marquise Moore posted his sixth double-double of the season with a career-high 25 points and game-high 13 rebounds as George Mason defeated Penn State, 85-66.
ETSU (7-1) at Dayton (6-2) 2 pm Fox Sports-Ohio
The Flyers will need to slow an Eastern Tennessee club that is ninth in the nation hitting 50.9 percent from the floor. T.J. Cromer scores 19.1 a game for ETSU. Dayton’s Scoochie Smith needs 36 points to reach 1000-pt. plateau. Charles Cooke leads four Flyers scoring in double figures.
UNC-Wilmington (7-1) at St. Bonaventure (6-2) 6 p.m. American Sports Network
The Bonnies will try for five in a row against UNCW which forces 17.88 turnovers per game (14th in the country) and scores 88.6 points (11th). Devontae Cacok averages a double-double for UNCW with 14 points and 10.1 rebounds. Jaylen Adams is second in the A-10 scoring 23.4 points per game. The junior point guard hands out six assists.
VCU (6-3) at Old Dominion (5-3) 8 pm American Sports Network
VCU seeks to snap a two-game losing streak against an Old Dominion squad holding opponents to 57.6 points per game (sixth). With 9.3 boards per outing, Denzell Taylor leads the Monarchs which grab 15.8 caroms on the offensive glass. Last time out, Justin Tillman scored 26 and grabbed nine rebounds in VCU’s 76-73 overtime loss to Georgia Tech.
Other games:
Central Connecticut State (2-5) at Duquesne (4-6) 2 pm
Howard (1-6) at George Washington (6-4) 4 pm
Fordham (5-5) at Manhattan (2-7) 7 pm
UMBC (7-1) at Richmond (4-4) 7:30 pm A-10 Network
Sunday
Chicago State (3-4) at Saint Louis (2-6) 2 pm
Saint Joseph’s (3-4) at Drexel (4-4) 6 pm
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