By PAUL GOTHAM
Atlantic 10 conference play opens with four televised games over two days. Here’s your rundown.
St. Bonaventure (8-4) at UMass (10-3) 4 pm
St. Bonaventure’s Jaylen Adams leads the A-10 handing out 6.6 assists per game while scoring 23 points. His teammate Matt Mobley leads the nation averaging 38.5 minutes played per contest. Donte Clark tallies 15.3 a game for UMass, winners of four straight.
La Salle (6-4) at Dayton (9-3) 6 pm CBS Sports Network
Syracuse transfer B.J. Johnson (20.2 ppg/6.2 rpg) leads La Salle into UD Arena. Johnson along with other transfers Pookie Powell (Memphis) and Demetrius Henry (South Carolina) look to help the Explorers rebound from a disappointing (9-22) 2015-16. Jordan Price scores 18.5 a game for Dr. John Giannini’s Explorers. Scoochie Smith joined the 1,000-point club in Dayton’s recent victory over VMI. Charles Cooke paces the Flyers with 19.2 points per game. Kendall Pollard (11 ppg/4.3 rpg) will be playing in his seventh game since returning from injury.
When you hear it’s @DaytonMBB game day but you still have to wait nine hours. pic.twitter.com/HQ8fOKG7cS
— David Jablonski (@DavidPJablonski) December 30, 2016
Rhode Island (8-4) at Saint Louis (4-8) 7 pm ESPNU
Travis Ford begins his second tour of duty in A-10 play when he brings his Billikens to the Ryan Center. The former UMass coach has a tall task at hand when facing a URI Rams team which let a few opportunities slip away in the non-conference portion of the slate. E.C. Matthews and Jared Terrell are scoring 14-plus a game for Dan Hurley‘s club. Jermaine Bishop leads SLU with 4.7 assists and 11.6 points per game.
George Mason (10-3) at VCU (10-3) 8 pm CBS Sports Network
Winners of nine straight, Dave Paulsen’s George Mason Patriots have the longest winning streak in the A-10. They host a VCU squad that has made six straight appearances in the NCAA tournament – the longest such streak in the A-10. Marquise Moore paces Mason with eight double-doubles including a 23-point, 12-rebound performance in a win over Kent State which recently won at Texas. Moore also recorded the first triple-double in program history with 17 points, 16 boards and 10 assists in a 79-60 win over Penn. JeQuan Lewis is handing out 4.2 assists and scoring 15.4 points for VCU.
Richmond (6-6) at Davidson (7-4) 2 pm Saturday American Sports Network
Davidson’s Jack Gibbs leads the A-10 netting 23.1 points per game. His teammate Peyton Aldridge adds 20.8 a game. Richmond big man T.J. Cline scores 18.6 while grabbing 7.8 boards and handing out 4.5 assists.
OTHER GAMES:
George Washington (8-5) at Saint Joseph’s (6-5) 7 pm
Duquesne (7-6) at Fordham (6-7) 7 pm
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