George Washington Colonials Related Links: Team Page City Page Schedule Stats

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DAYTON, Ohio (Ticker) -- Tenth-ranked Xavier begins defense of its Atlantic 10 Conference championship from last season on Thursday when it meets George Washington in a quarterfinal matchup.

Xavier (24-4) has won 15 straight games and is seeking to enhance its seeding for the NCAA Tournament. The Musketeers have not lost since a 67-59 defeat to Richmond on January 7.

Last season, Xavier defeated Massachusetts, Dayton and Richmond to capture the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The Musketeers are returning to the site where they captured a pair of Midwestern Conference crowns in 1989 and 1991 - the UD Arena.

The Musketeers are led by A-10 Player of the Year David West, who is averaging 20.4 points and 11.9 rebounds. West has 20 double-doubles this season to lead the conference.

Romain Sato and Lionel Chalmers join freshman Dedrick Finn in Xavier's three-guard lineup. Sato is averaging 18.1 points and a surprising 7.1 rebounds.

George Washington (12-16) advanced to the quarterfinals with an 85-74 victory over Massachusetts on Monday. Chris Monroe scored 23 points and freshman Mike Hall added 19 and seven rebounds.

Xavier has won four straight and seven of eight against George Washington, including both meetings this season. The Colonials just missed an upset in the last meeting on March 1 when West's tip-in beat the buzzer and gave the Musketeers a 71-70 victory.

The winner will meet Richmond or Temple in the semifinals.