George Washington pulls ahead late in A-10 tourney win

Mar 9, 2017, 11:18 pm

PITTSBURGH -- Yuta Watanabe scored 18 points, Jair Bolden hit a key 3-pointer and George Washington pulled away late to beat Saint Louis 53-46 on Thursday night in the second round of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament.

No. 6 seed George Washington (19-13) plays third-seeded Richmond in a Friday quarterfinal.

The Colonials trailed by 14 early in the second half, but rallied to tie the game twice before Bolden's 3 gave George Washington its first lead of the game, 45-43, with 2:07 left. Jalen Johnson answered with a 3-pointer for the Billikens before George Washington closed on an 8-0 surge capped by Watanabe's two-handed slam dunk.

Johnson scored 16 points and Mike Crawford had 15 to lead No. 11 seed Saint Louis (12-21).

George Washington shot 23 percent and missed all eight of its 3-point attempts in the first half, but shot 47 percent and made 4 of 12 from long range after the break.