Game Info: Wednesday, February 19, 2025 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Charles E. Smith Center - Washington, D.C.
TV: ESPN+ | Listen: sjuhawks.com | Live Stats: sjuhawks.com | Saint Joseph's Game Notes | George Washington Game Notes

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Opening Tip
The Saint Joseph's men's basketball team makes its second trip to the DMV in five days, traveling to George Washington on Wednesday, February 19. Tipoff from the is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. with the game on ESPN+

Countdown Update    
Erik Reynolds II's performance against George Mason on Saturday moved him closer to the top of a pair St. Joe's program records. He needs 72 points to pass former National Player of the Year Jameer Nelson (2000-04) to become the all-time leading scorer in SJU history. Nelson netted 2,094 points in his Saint Joseph's career. The Temple Hills, Md. product finished the game against the Patriots with 326 three-pointers, leaving him 17 shy of Langston Galloway's program record.

ER II-K    
With his three-pointer 19 seconds into the second half against La Salle, Erik Reynolds II became the second player in Saint Joseph's men's basketball history to reach 2,000 career points. In the process, he also passed Galloway (2011-14) for second on the Hawks' scoring list, ending the night with 2,012 points. Reynolds is the 14th active Division I player to reach the milestone. He is one of two current A-10 players (Gibson Jimerson - Saint Louis) and one of two active Big 5 players (Jamal Mashburn Jr. - Temple) to have scored 2,000 points.

A Revolutionary Effort    
If history is any indicator, Reynolds may have a chance to make some inroads on the record books on Wednesday night. The senior is averaging 22.8 points per game against GW in his career and has scored at least 17 in each game he has played against the school. He also has his career-high against George Washington, connecting for 34 in the Second Round of the Atlantic 10 Championship on March 8, 2023.

Guaranteed Double-Double?    
While there's no such thing as a guarantee in sports, Wednesday features a good possibility that fans at the Smith Center will see a double-double. Four of the top-nine players in the A-10 in that category are in the contest. Rafael Castro of GW leads the league with 10, followed by Rasheer Fleming with eight. Darren Buchanan Jr. and Xzayvier Brown have recorded five and three, respectively. Castro is tied for 25th nationally while Fleming is tied for 40th.

The Big Three    
One look at their scoring averages makes it clear how important Erik Reynolds II, Rasheer Fleming and Xzayvier Brown are to the St. Joe's offense, but a bit of a deeper look reveals just how special the trio has been. Each of them has scored in double figures at least 41 times in their careers, making SJU the only school in the A-10 with three players who have at least 40 such games. At 102 games with 10+ points, Reynolds is one of two players in the conference to reach the feat 100 or more times.

X Marks The Spot    
In particular, Brown has made some impressive strides in a short time with the Hawks. In just two years, he has 46 games in double figure scoring, including all 22 games he has played this season, accounting for 80.7 percent of his career contests. Those 22 games with 10 or more points this year are among sophomores nationally, trailing only Isaac Bruns of the University of South Dakota, who has 23.

Denied    
Justice Ajogbor got back to his old habits with three blocks at George Mason. He now has 10 games this season with three or more blocks and is averaging 2.92 BPG in Atlantic 10 play. As a team, the Hawks rejected eight Patriots shots. It is the 10th time this season SJU has swatted at least seven opposition attempts, the fifth-highest total in the country. St. Joe's is 7-3 in those games and is 6-1 in games with eight or more blocks.

Scouting Report    
George Washington enters play 17-9 overall and is 6-7 in the A-10, following a 74-67 win at Davidson on Saturday afternoon. The Revolutionaries were picked 13th in the conference preseason poll.

Rafael Castro leads the offense for GW at 13.2 points per game and also tops the Atlantic 10 in rebounding at 9.0 per night. Three other players also average double figures as Gerald Drumgoole Jr. scores 12.2 an outing while Darren Buchanan Jr. and Trey Autry net 11.8 and 10.0, respectively. Buchanan tops the team with 53 assists.

One area where the Revolutionaries excel is getting the ball inside and making their shots when they do, connecting at a 55.0 percent rate from two-point range. Castro, specifically, leads the A-10 in field goal percentage at 70.4.

When George Washington doesn't make its shots in the paint, it makes up for it, by getting to the free throw line 22.8 times per game, ranking 28th nationally. The charity stripe is a significant part of the team's offense, as it posts 16.0 points a night from 15-feet away.

Three-point shooting is a bit of an issue for the Revolutionaries as they sit 13th in the Atlantic 10 and 323rd in Division I at 30.7 percent from beyond they arc. They also struggle at times to hold on to the ball, averaging 12.6 turnovers per game, but make up for that by forcing 13.7 opposition miscues a contest.

Chris Caputo is in his third season as the head coach at GW with a record of 48-42. The 17 wins this season are his most in a season so far in the nation's capital.

All-Time Series    
Wednesday is the 73rd all-time matchup between the Hawks and Revolutionaries in a series that dates to the 1913-14 season. SJU holds a 41-31 advantage and has won three in a row. St. Joe's is 11-15 against GW at the Smith Center. The two schools have met in the postseason eight times, most recently in 2023.

Last Time Against GW    
In a game that saw nine lead changes and five ties, the Hawks held off George Washington 79-75 on February 21, 2024. Erik Reynolds II led SJU with 20 points. Xzayvier Brown  scored 16 and Cameron Brown added 13. After the Revolutionaries grabbed a five-point lead midway through the second half, SJU scored 10 in a row and never relinquished the advantage, sealing the game at the line. The win was the 17th of the year for St. Joe's, its most since the 2015-16 season.

Up Next    
SJU returns home for their final weekend date on Hawk Hill, hosting the Richmond Spiders on Saturday, February 22. Tipoff from Hagan Arena is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. with the game on USA Network.