Colonials Head West To Meet Familiar Foe

The George Washington women's team is heading to California -- again.

One year after winning two NCAA tournament games in Los Angeles, the Colonials (25-6) will travel to the Bay Area as a No. 6 seed and face a familiar foe, 11th-seeded Auburn (20-11), on Saturday at Stanford's Maples Pavilion.

"We have a special bond with Cali," senior guard Sarah-Jo Lawrence said during a team gathering at Smith Center last night.

"We don't lose in California," added junior guard Lisa Steele, whose three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left on Jan. 3 gave GW a 68-66 victory at Auburn. The Colonials also defeated the Tigers last regular season, a 62-51 decision in Washington.

Coach Joe McKeown was not as enthusiastic about traveling across the country again.

"For our fans and the families, with all the sites available near here, going back to California, it's a little bit surprising," said McKeown, whose team is making its 15th tournament appearance and sixth in a row. Both Maryland, a No. 1 seed, and Old Dominion, a No. 5, will play at least one game at home, while fourth-seeded Virginia will join ODU in nearby Norfolk. Bridgeport, Conn., is the other East Coast venue.

McKeown figured the Colonials would be seeded fourth, fifth or sixth, but was surprised they were paired with a team they had already played. His team will also have to tip off in the morning -- an 11 a.m. start Pacific time -- to accommodate national TV.

"But once you get past all that, it's just a matter of saying, 'Hey, let's get ready to play,' " he said.

Last year, as a No. 5 seed placed at the University of Southern California's Galen Center, GW defeated Boise State and No. 4 seed Texas A&M before losing to top-seeded North Carolina in the round of 16 in Dallas.

The Colonials' seed slipped this year after they lost to Xavier in the Atlantic 10 semifinals last week. Nonetheless, they have won 20 of their last 23 games and have beaten five tournament-bound teams, including Virginia and Texas A&M, a No. 2 seed.

One of the most dramatic victories came against then-18th-ranked Auburn when the Colonials were two spots behind nationally. GW led by 11 before the Tigers staged a second-half comeback and went ahead by one. With 12 seconds left, Kimberly Beck rebounded an Auburn miss and pushed the ball downcourt before passing to Steele on the left wing for the winning jumper.

"It was a really crazy game and, to win on their home court, was a big deal for us," Steele said.

Auburn's strength is DeWanna Bonner, a thin, 6-foot-4 junior guard who averages 18.5 points and 10.2 rebounds and was named to the Southeastern Conference's first team. In the GW game, she had 14 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocked shots but shot just 4 of 14.

"I remember there was a lot of trash-talking and physical play," Lawrence said. "It helps our confidence a lot [to have beaten Auburn], but we know it's going to be another tough game."

If the Colonials win, they likely would face third-seeded California on the court of the Bears' most bitter rival.

"We'll get those Stanford fans who hate Cal rooting for us," McKeown said.