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Home > SECWB News & More! > Our Staff & Contributors > Marilyn McManus > Auburn Tigers Fall Short, George Washington Prevails 66-56
Auburn Tigers Fall Short, George Washington Prevails 66-56
by Marilyn McManus, SECWB.com
Posted: March 22nd, 2008 @ 5:13pm
Source: View Box Score
The first-round NCAA Tournament contest between the Auburn Tigers and the George Washington Colonials got off to a slow, sloppy start. Auburn, in particular, was hampered by 2 quick fouls on Jordan Greenleaf and a flurry of turnovers. With 12:39 to play in the first half, George Washington held only an 11-5 lead, nine of those points coming on 3-point shots by Antelia Parrish. Parrish put a hurting on the Tigers in the first half, hitting 4 of 5 from long range.
The Colonials are a great passing team and their speed-of-light strikes deep into the paint resulted in wide-open looks for the Adair twins of GW. Jessica Adair did most of the damage inside, somewhat resembling a bull in a china shop, as Tigers bounced off of her in all directions. Auburn went to a zone defense to slow Parrish down and force other GW players to handle some of the load. That adjustment allowed Auburn to regain some momentum, especially when Sherell Hobbs came alive with a couple of baskets and a steal that enabled the Tigers to tie the score at 22 with 6:31 to play. At the half, Auburn held a 2-point lead, 31-29. In the second half, George Washington proved much more effective at attacking the Auburn zone and Auburn was unable to make their shots drop. While the Tigers struggled, Jessica Adair was incredibly efficient, hitting 6 of 10 shots from the field and 5 of 7 free throw attempts. Her twin, Jazmine, had only 5 points, but both Adairs provided a physical presence that Auburn was unable to match--or stop. DeWanna Bonner had only 4 points in the second half of play, as the Tigers found themselves on the defensive, trying to cope with a fast and physical onslaught by the Colonials. Despite her matchstick physique, Bonner did not break under the pounding of Jessica Adair--but she did find herself sitting on or sprawling across the floor, on more than one occasion. Freshman center Cassie Moore, who is the same height as Bonner, but much sturdier, picked up 4 personal fouls battling the Colonials inside the paint. It appeared that it simply was not Auburn's day to win. The game was closer than the 10 point margin of victory might indicate; the Tigers stayed within 5 points of the Colonials until the final two minutes of play and the score was further inflated by implementing the dubious strategy of fouling to get the ball back.
Auburn had four players in double figures: DeWanna Bonner led the scoring with 16 points, while Hobbs, Alli Smalley and Trevesha Jackson each had 10. Four of the five GW starters also scored in double figures: Jessica Adair with 17 points (and 13 rebounds, Parrish with 15 points and 11 points apiece for Whitney Allen and Sarah-Jo Lawrence. Kimberly Beck was unable to score effectively, but did hand out 6 assists. The Colonials shot 42% for the game, compared to Auburn's 34.5%, and hit twice as many 3-pointers: 6 of 19 to Auburn's 3 for 14. Auburn ends the season with a record of 20-12 and returns to the Plains to plot a strategy to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2008-2009. This was the final game for seniors Juanitta Wallace, Alexis Ogubie and Tamela McCorvey. The rest of the active roster returns, with senior point guard Whitney Boddie working to regain a place on the team after being declared academically ineligible, this season. The George Washington Colonials will take on the winner of the game between California and San Diego, on Monday.
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