GW Holds Off AU in Renewal of Local Rivalry

George Washington 63, American 50

It took almost six years for two programs separated by, give or take, five turns through city streets to get back together on the court. But the meeting between George Washington and American before 2,653 at Smith Center last night had the feel of a rivalry that had continued without interruption.

There was edgy defense, substandard shooting, an elbow to the face and a few hard fouls that drew glares from the recipient.

In the end, GW's balanced scoring and inside game were too much for the wayward-shooting Eagles, resulting in a 63-50 victory.

Rob Diggs made 9 of 10 free throws and scored 17 points for the Colonials (5-2), who built a 10-point lead in the first half but struggled to put away the Eagles (4-5) until the final two minutes. Reserve Noel Wilmore made three three-pointers before halftime and contributed 11 points for GW, which is 4-0 at home but won't play there again until its Atlantic 10 opener Jan. 10 against Richmond.

"We are just trying to be consistent," Diggs said. "At the Maryland game [a 76-53 loss on Dec. 7], you see us play one type of basketball and then another game another type of basketball. I think we are still on the verge of finding ourselves, knowing what our teammates want, knowing where they want the ball."

Diggs, a 6-foot-8 senior forward, wanted the ball in the low post throughout the second half, and although he shot only 4 of 13 from the field, he caused matchup problems for the Eagles and got to the free throw line.

"They started pounding the ball inside and Diggs really became a big factor," AU Coach Jeff Jones said. "They kind of took back control of the game."

The Eagles stayed within striking distance thanks to Brian Gilmore's 23 points, including 10 in a 1-minute 37-second stretch that cut American's deficit to 38-35, and reserve Nick Hendra's 14. But top scorer Garrison Carr made only 1 of 14 shots (he was 0 for 9 on three-pointers) and finished with six points, 11.5 less than his average.

Carr, the star of AU's run to the NCAA tournament last season, is 3 of 31 in the past two games and 18 of 79 in the last five (22.8 percent). Two three-pointers last night were air balls, and his only field goal was a fast-break layup.

"Our length bothered him a little bit," Colonials Coach Karl Hobbs said. "All of the shots that he seemed to take, they were all under duress and they were all pressure shots they needed. We never allowed him to feel comfortable."

Jones said he thought Carr had more good shot opportunities than in recent games, but "it's in the head right now."

GW's size was a factor in several matchups -- on some occasions, 6-7 Xavier Alexander was guarding the Eagles' Derrick Mercer, a 5-9 point guard -- and helped limit AU to no easy baskets for 11 minutes in the second half.

AU, coming off an 11-day layoff since losing badly to Georgetown, shot 29.6 percent in the second half and lost its fourth straight game.

GW and AU faced each other every season between 1969 and 2000, then skipped two seasons before playing again in January 2003. The Atlantic 10 adopted a scheduling guideline that restricts nonconference games against teams in the lower portion of the Ratings Percentage Index. Because AU plays in the modest Patriot League, the Colonials have been unable to schedule the Eagles.

This year, though, because AU was coming off a league championship that earned it a more respectable rating, the opportunity arose.

From American's perspective, there was probably no better winter to resume a series that began 82 years ago with a 21-18 thriller at an unknown site. The Eagles are favored to repeat as Patriot champions, while the Colonials were picked to finish in the bottom half of the Atlantic 10.

"I know it is good for us," said Jones, whose team plays at Maryland on Monday. "We are very grateful to have the chance."