George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
LA SALLE
Men's Basketball Gets Past La Salle, 81-72
2/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC -- George Washington freshman Lasan Kromah scored a game-high 22 points and Joseph Katuka pulled down his career-high 14 rebounds to lift the Colonials past undermanned La Salle, 81-72, Wednesday in an Atlantic 10 game at Charles E. Smith Center.
GW (15-11, 5-8) was led by Kromah's 22 points, one of three Colonials in double figures. Dwayne Smith added 21 points and Damian Hollis had 14 but it was the rebounding of Katuka that kept GW afloat late in the contest. Nine of Katuka's career-high 14 rebounds came on the offensive end and the junior center added 10 points for his fourth career double-double and second in the last three games.
La Salle (11-16, 3-10) had four players score in double figures led by Rodney Green's 21 points and also got 16 from Aaric Murray. Three La Salle starters were missing from the lineup due to injury. The Explorers had a total of eight players in uniform for the game.
The Colonials shot 45.2 percent (28-62) from the field but it wasn't until the game's final two minutes that GW was able to distance themselves from the Explorers. Leading 72-68 at the 2:58 mark, Katuka converted a pair of free throws followed by a free throw and a layup by Kromah to boost GW's lead to nine at 77-68 with 59 seconds showing. Both teams added a layup and a pair of free throws for the final margin.
GW took a 35-31 lead in to the half behind 10 points from Smith. Kromah added nine points in the opening half as the Colonials shot 45.5 percent. The Colonials pulled away from a 19-19 tie with a 7-0 run to lead, 26-19 at the 6:03 mark but La Salle rallied to within one at 30-29 on a jumper by Jerrrell Williams with 2:14 left. A jumper by Katuka and a three-pointer by Damian Hollis built GW's lead back to four to close out the half.
GW plays the second game of a three-game homestand when it hosts Charlotte (18-7, 8-3) on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. The game will be telecast live on MASN and broadcast live on 1500 AM and 820 AM and online at www.FederalNewsRadio.com.
