PHILADELPHIA – Coming off its first home loss in over two months, La Salle men's basketball will head south to take on the George Washington Colonials on Saturday afternoon.

La Salle Explorers (14-6, 4-3 A-10) at George Washington Colonials (10-9, 4-2 A-10)
Saturday, February 2, 2013 | 2 PM | Smith Center
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Game Notes
La Salle | George Washington

Last Time Out
Tyreek Duren put the Explorers up 60-59 with at the 37.9 second mark, but UMass answered on the other end, edging the Explorers 61-60 on Wednesday evening at Tom Gola Arena. Ramon Galloway and Jerrell Wright each registered 16 points and six boards while Duren added 10. The loss marked the first at Gola Arena since the Explorers were dropped by Central Connecticut State on November 18. The Blue and Gold had won six straight Atlantic 10 contests at home dating back to last season.

All-Time Series
George Washington maintains a 19-13 edge in the series history, dating back to 1951. However, La Salle took two from the Colonials last season, including a 78-63 victory on January 28 behind a 28-point (11-12 FG, 6-7 3PT) outburst from Galloway.

Coach's Corner
Head Coach Dr. John Giannini on...

The strength of the A-10:
The nationally ranked teams are terrific. But they're no less than terrific that UMass, they're no less terrific than Saint Louis, they're no less terrific than Temple, they're no less terrific than Dayton, and they're no less terrific than Saint Joseph's. This league is a monster. 

Scouting the Colonials
George Washington comes in winners of three consecutive A-10 contests, most recently drubbing Charlotte 82-54 on January 26. After starting the season 5-6, the Colonials have won five of eight, as its youthful roster continues to mesh.

The Colonials are driven by senior forward Isaiah Armwood, who leads the team in scoring (11.9 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg, third in A-10), field goal percentage (.527), and blocks (2.7 bpg, second in A-10). A cohort of guards provides much of the rest of the Colonial's production, namely freshman Patricio Garino (9.9 ppg), senior Lasan Kromah (9.5 ppg), and freshman Joe McDonald (7.4 ppg).

As a team, George Washington excels defensively and on the glass, posting the conference's third-best scoring defense (61.8 ppg) and second-best rebounding margin (+5.1). The Colonials also rank in the top five in the A-10 in field goal percentage defense (.405) and blocked shots/game (4.9).

Coach's Corner
Head Coach Mike Longeran on...

Defending La Salle's athletic back court:
That's going to be really hard. We're going to have to make sure we get back in transition and get our half-court defense set. Our bigs have to really get back on “D” because of their speed. They have terrific guards with a lot of experience so it's hard to take away the three and also the drive but we're going to try to stay between them and the basket. 

Up Next
The Explorers have a week before hitting the hardwood again, when Fordham visits Gola Arena on Saturday, February 9 at 2 PM.