Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The A-10 Tournament is taking place this week in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with a recap of the 2nd round quadruple-header on Thursday.
GAME #1: ST. BONAVENTURE-DUQUESNE
I had to work, but the Bonnies won 64-59.
GAME #2: ST. LOUIS-DAVIDSON
I had to work, but the Billikens won 83-75.
GAME #3 GW-FORDHAM
I arrived midway through the 2nd half and was VERY glad that I could walk to the arena from my apartment:
GW F Darren Buchanan Jr. had a nice game with 14 PTS off the bench…but had to hop on the stationary bike to stay loose:
JUST to set the record straight, we all love Joey Brackets…but he ranks 118th in the Bracket Matrix over the past 5 years and your truly ranks 7th:
The Revs took a 68-55 lead with under 9 minutes left (their largest of the game), but Fordham came all the way back to take a 74-72 lead with just over 2 minutes to play thanks to 35 PTS/7-9 3PM from Jackie Johnson III:
However, GW G Trey Autry hit some huge threes of his own down the stretch to tie his career high with 23 PTS (and set a career high with 7-13 3PM) as his team hung on for dear life and eked out an 88-81 victory:
In the postgame press conference I tried to ask Autry to explain why he only made 3-13 3PM during his 2 games vs. GMU this year. Without waiting for me to finish my question he piped up, “The rims were messed up!”, but then admitted that the Patriots are a good defensive team:
GAME #4: La Salle-St. Joe’s
I FINALLY was able to use my food voucher to grab a late dinner at 1 of the concession stands on the concourse level: the chicken tenders/fries were okay…but the sriracha honey hot sauce was just the kick I needed to make it through the final game of the night! Between the Hoyas and the Wizards, there has not been a lot to celebrate at Capital 1 Arena in 2025, but thanks to the Alex Ovechkin’s chase toward Wayne Gretzky’s carer goals record I got to see this dynamic display from the Caps:
In the past the A-10 has given out gifts to the media such as flash drives/pint glasses, and this week we get mobile phone chargers:
I usually do not get emotional at college basketball games, but this 1 has the potential to be a farewell that I will not soon forget. The Penn coach for my 1st-ever game as a college freshman was Fran Dunphy…and more than 3 decades later (God I am old!) I am attending what could be his last-ever game as a college coach:
In contrast to Dunphy’s impending retirement, the Hawk will never die:
The Explorers hung around for the 1st 20 minutes but St. Joe’s SO G Xzayvier Brown was Xcellent with 15 PTS/3-4 3PM and helped his team head to the locker room with a 36-27 lead:
I missed most of the 2nd half while preparing for some interviews tomorrow. The Explorer mascot tried to match the Hawk’s intensity during the 2nd half, and a late 17-1 run which included a 4-PT play made it VERY interesting:
However, St. Joe’s just had too much size and used a 46-35 REB advantage to clinch a 75-70 win as the 2 coaches came together for a heartfelt handshake:
In the postgame press conference I wondered if St. Joe’s coach Billy Lange (who had a 1st round bye yesterday) believed more in rest or rust. He answered that while he appreciated my alliteration, he has never been in Dayton’s double-bye position. At this time of year everyone is playing their best ball and is familiar with every other team in their conference. While his own team is in rhythm, he is sure that Dayton (his Friday night opponent) feels good that they are rested:
Coach Dunphy walked up to the podium for the final press conference of his lengthy career, but rather than have me try/fail to summarize it, I will just post a link to the whole thing so that you can hear the entirety of his answers. It begins around the 16:45 mark, and my question for 1 of my all-time favorite coaches begins around the 34:05 mark: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWHq55auK5A
That is a wrap for today, check back tomorrow for the quarterfinal quadruple-header as the top seeds finally take the court in an attempt to take home this terrific trophy:
