Basketball Means the World to Lawrence

Other than a trip to the Bahamas for a Thanksgiving tournament, George Washington guard Sarah-Jo Lawrence hadn't been out of the country until this past summer when she traveled to Taiwan to play for the U.S. team in an international tournament held annually there. Playing against professional and national teams, Lawrence helped the United States win the bronze medal.

Lawrence played well, but this trip provided her with more than a taste of international competition. It also offered her a chance to fulfill a dream.

"I've always wanted to travel and see different countries because I've never been," Lawrence said. "That's been my goal. I just really want to see different places and experience different cultures. . . . It was eye-opening. I tried to take everything in that I could."

While many players would have focused solely on the games, Lawrence used the opportunity to learn about other cultures. She dined with players from other teams and explored Taipei during the William Jones Cup tournament, which is named for one of the founders of FIBA.

"For her, she really maxed out the experience," GW Coach Joe McKeown said. "She's adventurous. She's got that great exuberance about everything she does. That's why you love having her around. Her enthusiasm can be contagious."

Another one of Lawrence's dreams is to play professionally overseas once her college career has ended. In the meantime, No. 16 GW is counting on the 5-foot-11 senior from Rhoadesville, Va., in its quest to win another Atlantic 10 Conference title and earn a trip to the NCAA tournament.

The Colonials (16-4, 4-1 Atlantic 10) play Dayton (17-4, 3-2) tonight at Smith Center. GW is in a four-way tie for first place with the Flyers a game back.

An explosive scorer, Lawrence is a slashing guard who can create her own shot and is hard to guard off the dribble. Big games seem to bring out the best in her. She led GW with 18 points in its win over then-No. 18 Auburn and scored a career-high 29 points, including the three-pointer that sent the game into overtime, in the Colonials' upset of then-No. 10 Texas A&M. One of only two players to start every game, Lawrence is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points. She reached the 1,000-point plateau for her career in the sixth game this season and has had more 20-point games during her career than any player on GW's roster.

As remarkable as those accomplishments are, McKeown wonders whether Lawrence could be doing more.

"I think sometimes because our program is based on defense and discipline . . . with somebody like her she probably feels there's days that I've held her back," McKeown said. "If she can get into an environment where they just run and gun and shoot it, she can really score. I make her play defense. That makes her mad."

In addition to playing basketball and maintaining a 3.85 grade-point average in her double major of communications and sociology, Lawrence has made the most out of being a student-athlete at GW. She is active in Athletes in Action and is president of the Jackie Robinson Society, a student organization that sponsors discussions about Robinson and participates in community service projects.

Her off-court activities have also earned her considerable recognition. She's twice won the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award, given to outstanding minority student-athletes around the country who exemplify academics, athleticism and humanitarianism, and is a candidate for the senior CLASS award.

"In this world of me-first athletes and what can you do for me, she's the opposite," McKeown said. "It's refreshing."

Lawrence wants to play basketball as long as she can. But once her playing career ends, she plans to become an athletic director.

"I'd love to be around sports, be around athletes," Lawrence said. "I know it's not a usual field that women or black women at all go into. That's the competitive nature in me to want to get there. Probably one of the hardest things to do and of course I choose that. I like challenges like that."