Alex Mitola nailed a running jumper in the lane with 4 seconds remaining as George Washington edged Hofstra 82-80 in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday night in Washington, D.C.
Sophomore Yuta Watanabe scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half for fourth-seeded GW (24-10), which took a 49-38 lead into the intermission. He shot 5-for-12 from the field overall and canned two 3-pointers and added three rebounds, two assists and a block. Tyler Cavanaugh finished with a team-best 20 points for the hosts.
For fifth-seeded Hofstra (24-10), Juan'ya Green had 26 points and 10 assists.
The Colonials, who scored 22 points off 20 Hofstra turnovers, will face top-seeded Monmouth in the second round on Monday in New Jersey.