Sophomore guard Kethan Savage will be out six-to-eight weeks with a left foot fracture, the men’s basketball team announced Tuesday, dealing the Colonials a big blow in their surprising season.

After initially being listed as day-to-day with a left ankle sprain, further evaluation revealed that Savage had actually sustained a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his left foot.

Savage’s injury, sustained in the final minutes of GW’s 79-71 victory over St. Bonaventure, will likely have him out for the rest of the Atlantic 10 regular season.

“It’s disappointing for Kethan to have this happen in the middle of his breakout sophomore season,” head coach Mike Lonergan said in a press release. “But as a team we’ve dealt with injuries before and have emerged stronger as a unit.”

Before his injury, Savage was the second-leading scorer for the Colonials, averaging 13.4 points per game. Savage also led GW in total steals (36), and was second in total assists (49) and total blocks (12).

Without Savage on the floor, expect Lonergan to insert sophomore Patricio Garino, who has recently come back from an injury of his own, into the starting lineup. Since his return, Garino has arguably been the team’s best player, but has remained on the bench to add a mid-game scoring spark and keep team chemistry intact.

Also expect freshman guard Nick Griffin, who is averaging just 4.3 minutes per game, to see increased playing time in the backcourt.

“We’ll look forward to his return to action, but I have every bit of confidence that we’ll overcome Kethan’s absence. In the meantime, this is a great opportunity for all his teammates to step up at this time.  That is a mark of a great team.  We are all very excited for the rest of the season ahead,” Lonergan said.

GW returns to the court Saturday when they will travel to face George Mason at 12 p.m.