Sophomore Yuta Watanabe scored a game-high 19 points and the George Washington men's basketball team defeated Saint Louis 73-65 in the Atlantic 10 Tournament's second round on Thursday in Brooklyn, New York.

The fifth-seeded Colonials (23-9 overall) will face fourth-seeded Saint Joseph's (24-7) in the A-10 tourney quarterfinals on Friday at Barclays Center.

Watanabe scored the Colonials' first two baskets, both on jumpers, in the game's first minute. His third hoop of the contest, another J, gave them an 8-4 lead. He finished with three rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist in 32 minutes. He knocked down 2 of 4 shots from 3-point range. He shot 7 of 10 from the field.

"Even though I was struggling the last few games like, everyone talked to me like 'keep shooting, don't worry about it,' so I could have stayed confident and today I hit the first three shots," Watanabe was quoted saying by The GW Hatchet.