GAME NOTES: The first-ever meeting between the George Washington Colonials and the Colorado Buffaloes is set to take place in the semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The Buffaloes, who are playing away from home on Tuesday for just the fourth time this season, picked up their first victory outside of Boulder on Monday with an 82-68 decision over DePaul. The win was the second in a row for a program that opened the campaign with five wins in six opportunities.

As for the Colonials, now 7-3 overall like Colorado, they have actually played the majority of their 10 games away from home, breaking even through six tests. In the opening round of the tournament, the team crushed Ohio in a 77-49 final, marking its fourth victory in the last five outings.

Both schools will be back in action on Christmas day in the final round of this event, with opponents to be determined during Tuesday's action.

Outside of an early two-point deficit, the Colonials had little trouble taking care of business against Ohio on Monday, winning the rebounding battle (44-28) while turning the ball over a mere eight times. Four starters scored in double figures as Kevin Larsen led the way with a solid double-double consisting of 19 points and 15 rebounds, both of which were game highs. Kethan Savage accounted for 18 points, Patricio Garino 15 and John Kopriva 10 points for a squad that outscored the Bobcats at the free-throw line by a 12-1 margin.

The Colonials, who are outscoring the competition by 13.2 ppg, are led by Garino with his 15.1 ppg, stemming from an impressive 57.0 percent shooting from the field. Savage checks in with 12.7 ppg, in spite of his 26.1 percent accuracy behind the 3-point line, and Larsen another 11.9 ppg to go with 8.0 rpg.

Defensively, the Colonials have been clamping down on opponents fairly well, limiting them to only 58.7 ppg based on 39.7 percent shooting from the field and 28.8 percent accuracy out on the perimeter.

The Colorado defense went on the attack against the Blue Demons, limiting the opposition to only 33.3 percent shooting from the field and 6-of-27 behind the 3-point line, all while forcing 18 turnovers. Were it not for a near-perfect 20-of-22 showing at the free-throw line by DePaul, the game would not have been as close as it was. Leading the way on offense for the Buffs was Askia Booker with 27 points, six rebounds and six assists, followed by Xavier Johnson with his 20 points and team-best seven rebounds. Also getting in on the scoring were fellow starters Wesley Gordon and Jaron Hopkins with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Booker, who converted all 14 of his chances at the charity stripe versus DePaul, is now converting such shots at an 82.2 percent clip as he leads the Buffaloes not only in scoring (15.3 ppg) but also in assists (34) through 10 games. Josh Scott ended up with just five points in 33 minutes on Monday, but still he is second on the team in scoring with 14.4 ppg, while placing first in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and blocked shots (20). Johnson, a 44.1 percent shooter on the outside, checks in with 13.9 ppg and 5.3 rpg.

Clearly the Buffaloes have the scoring power and strength in the paint to easily contend with George Washington, but they'll have to play smart with this quick turn-around in order to stay out in front.