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 Sarah-Jo Lawrence led the Colonials with 20 points off the bench against ODU |
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Colonials Clash with Lady Vols in NCAA Second Round at 7 PM
March 21, 2006
NORFOLK, VA -The George Washington Colonials (23-8) play the Tennessee Lady Vols (29-4) in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in Norfolk, VA with a 7:17 tip time. The game will be televised on ESPN (subject to regional coverage) with the winner advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 to play the TCU-Rutgers winner on March 26 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH. This is the Colonials third trip to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in the last four years.
The Colonials and Lady Vols met earlier this season when Tennessee visited Charles E. Smith Athletic Center on December, 7 2005. While the Colonials ultimately lost, 59-43, GW led for the first 10 minutes of the game and was only five points behind at halftime and five minutes into the second half. The Colonials failed to score during an 8:30-minute span late in the second half as then-No. 1 Tennessee improved to 8-0 on the year.
The Colonials have not yet beaten the Lady Vols in six previous tries. They have played yearly for the last few years and are scheduled to play in Knoxville, TN next season. This is the first NCAA meeting between the teams although Tennessee won in the only other game on a neutral site, the first meeting in 1992 at a tournament hosted by Maryland. Tennessee's national ranking of sixth marks the first time GW has faced a Lady Vols team not in the top five in the country.
The Colonials were chosen to the 64-team field as an At-Large Selection, while Old Dominion won the Colonials Athletic Association Championship. The Colonials were Regular Season Co-Champion of the Atlantic 10 for the fifth straight season. This is GW's fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and it advanced to the second round last season with a win over Mississippi. GW's best-ever finish was an "Elite Eight" showing in 1997, the team also advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" in 1995.
This is the Colonials fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and their 13th in the last 16 years all under the guidance of 17-year GW Head Coach Joe McKeown. The team's best-ever finish came in 1997 when fourth-seeded GW advanced to the Elite Eight in Columbia, SC. Two of the senior players on that team, Lisa Cermignano and Tajama (Abraham) Ngongba, are now assistant coaches for the Colonials. During their sophomore year in 1995, GW enjoyed a No. 4 seed, the team's highest ever. GW, coached by McKeown, advanced to the Sweet 16 losing to No. 1 seed Colorado in Des Moines, IA.
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The Colonials finished the regular season as Co-Champions of the Atlantic 10 with a 13-3 conference record. Charlotte who matched the Colonials mark did not make the NCAA Tournament after losing their first A-10 Tournament game. The Colonials, however, advanced to the A-10 Championship game with victories over Richmond and tournament host Saint Joseph's. The Colonials faced No. 18 Temple in the Championship but could not defeat the Owls for a third straight time this season, falling 59-54. The Owls, joined the NCAA field as a No. 6 seed but were upset by No. 11 Hartford on Sunday in Trenton, NJ making the Colonials the final remaining A-10 team in the NCAA Tournament.
Tuesday's game will be played at Old Dominion's Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, VA and broadcast live on ESPN. A few tickets for the NCAA Tournament are still available. Single session tickets $20 for adults ($15 for youths 17 and under). All can be purchased at the Constant Center box office or by calling 1-888-411-4TED or logging online at www.constantcenter.com.
