Update, 9:18 p.m…Things just continue to get worse for the Colonials, as they now trail by 21 with just over 12 minutes left in the game. They’ve already started taking desperation shots from outside and very few have fallen. Saint Louis, meanwhile, continues to be strong from behind the arc.

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Update, 8:56 p.m…I just went into the still-sparse student section to try and solve the mystery of why there are so few fans in the section. The student told me that there is a metro stop on the University’s campus that goes right to Scottrade Center, so transportation isn’t an issue. He also said that there are usually a lot more students and he thinks the fact that it is a Wednesday night hurts the attendance. But most conference games are on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons, so that doesn’t really explain it, either.

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Update, 8:47 p.m….The Colonials are down 30-14 at the half. Remember, the game was tied at 10 eight minutes into the game. Junior Rob Diggs, who had 29 points in a 57-54 upset of Dayton last weekend, leads GW with 8 points. Interestingly, no one from Saint Louis has that many; Husak has seven.

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Update, 8:38 pm….Things are starting to spiral for the Colonials, who have allowed Saint Louis to go on a 14-0 run in the past 8 minutes. Diggs just missed a dunk. It’s currently 24-10 SLU.

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Update, 8:22 p.m…Tied at 10 with 11:26 left in the first half. The Colonials started the game out sloppy, allowing Saint Louis’ Bryce Husak to score seven quick points, but picked up the pace a few minutes in. Freshman Miles Beatty just had a pretty impressive play, going inside and, while being guarded by at least two, if not three, Billikens, missing two layups but grabbing the rebounds each time and punching the ball through the hoop on the third attempt.

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Update, 8:02 p.m…Tip is in a couple minutes and the building is somewhat full. Interesting to note, though, that there isn’t a large student contingency. Most of the fans appear to be older folks. The Scottrade Center is about 15 minutes from the University and it’s really, really cold out, so perhaps most of the 7,350 undergrads didn’t feel like making the trip in the cold.

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I’m here at the Scottrade Center in Saint Louis, where the Colonials (6-13, 2-7 Atlantic 10) face the Billikens (13-10, 4-5 A-10). The last time the two teams met, Jan. 10 at Smith Center, GW won, 49-20. Saint Louis’ 20 points set the record for fewest scored in a game since the inception of the shock clock in the 1985-86 season.

The Colonials have not won yet on the road this season (0-9) while the Billikens are 8-4 at home. Saint Louis leads the A-10 in scoring defense and is ranked 15th nationally, holding teams to an average of 59.3 points per game. GW averages 63.5 points per game.

The Scottrade Center seats 20,000 and feels like a hockey arena, which makes sense since it is the home of the St. Louis Blues. The Billikens and the Blues are the only two teams that use the facility regularly.