After suffering their third loss of the season to Penn State last week, the Colonials will look to turn things around at the 2014 Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii.

Game one of the four-day tournament will feature GW and the Ohio Bobcats in a quarterfinal matchup. The Colonials made headlines this time last season at the 2013 Wooden Legacy, where they took down Miami (Fla.) and nationally ranked Creighton.

But to get a shot at playing No. 11 Wichita State in Honolulu, the only nationally ranked team in the tournament, the Colonials will first need to knock off a struggling Ohio team on Monday.

The case for Ohio:
Senior forward Maurice Daly Ndour, who leads Ohio in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, as well as senior guard Javarez Willis, who is averaging 15.2 points, will need to come up big if the Bobcats want the first-round win.

Two more Ohio players are averaging double figures in scoring, but the Bobcats will need to improve their team shooting average of .433 percent to take down a hard-nosed Colonials defense that is currently allowing just under 60 points per game to its opponents.

While GW outranks Ohio in nearly every offensive category, the Bobcats hold the edge in defensive rebounding. Ohio ranks 36th in the nation on the defensive boards, averaging 27.3 rebounds per game to GW’s 114th best 25.3.

The case for GW:
The Colonials should have a relatively easy time taking down their Mid-American conference opponent if they can maintain their composure and shoot well – though they struggled with both against Penn State.

Junior forward Kevin Larsen and junior guard Patricio Garino, who each had impressive performances against the Nittany Lions despite the loss, should be able to frustrate an Ohio defense that is ranked 246th nationally in points allowed.

Look for the Colonials to score the majority of their field goals in the paint, but also try to get some looks from beyond the arc against the 252nd-ranked Ohio three-point defense.

If GW gets a lead early, expect head coach Mike Lonergan to get his bench involved to keep his starters well rested for Tuesday’s second-round game against Colorado or DePaul.