George Washington University Athletics
Colonials Lose Heartbreaker Against Cavaliers
11/13/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Reid and Oha Come Off the Bench to Lead George Washington
Charlottesville, VA (November 12, 2000) - The Colonials fought back from a 12-point deficit in the second half to pull even with No. 14 Virginia, when two timely three point field goals from Cavaliers guard Telisha Quarles in the closing minutes gave them the 72-66 win.
The Colonials and Cavaliers kept it close throughout the first half, with Virginia holding a slim lead for the majority of the period. Both teams shot poorly from the field, with neither squad eclipsing 30 percent from the floor. Freshman Ugo Oha (Houston, TX/Hastings HS) came off the bench to score nine points and grab eight rebounds to lead the Colonials. Oha would record her second straight double-double in her two-game collegiate career.
Virginia's top players Svetlana Volnaya and Schuye LaRue were held to four points combined in the first half as the Colonials focused their defense on the duo. LaRue was in foul trouble early, playing only three minutes of the first half. The Colonials worked the ball inside, allowing Oha to dominate in the post.
In contrast, Virginia worked from the outside, hitting four shots from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers were able to build up an eight-point lead by halftime, the final two points coming on a desperate shot from forward Chalois Lias as time ran out. Closely guarded, Lias hurled the ball from sixteen feet out and received a fortuitous bounce to extend Virginia's lead to eight at the buzzer, 36-28.
The Cavaliers came out of the gate firing in the second half, increasing their lead to 12 in the first four minutes. the Colonials would not go quietly and began chipping away at Virginia's lead behind the strong play of senior guard Corrin Reid (Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams HS). Reid posted another solid outing, scoring 16 points on six of 11 shooting, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out two assists in 24 minutes of play.
Reid scored 11 of the Colonials' 22 points in a 22-10 run in the second half, capping the surge with a 10 foot jumper that gave GW the lead 56-55 with seven and a half minutes to play. Virginia and GW traded baskets for the next five minutes, with neither team gaining the upper-hand until Cavaliers guard Telisha Quarles hit a three pointer to tie the game, and followed with another three off a Colonial turnover to put Virginia up 64-61.
The Cavaliers would never look back, and extended the lead to five on two Volnaya free throws, but the GW was able to cut the lead to three when Colonials forward Elena Vishniakova (St. Petersburg Russia/Heathwood Hall, Columbia, SC) hit on a short jumper. Virginia responded with a Volnaya lay-up and converted a free throw to extend the lead to six. Vishniakova again responded with a three point shot to cut the lead in half with 48 seconds to play. GW would fall short as Virginia was converted free throws in the waning minutes of the game.
GW (1-1) will next face Washington State in the first round of the Coca Cola Classic on Saturday, November 25, at Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ.