George Washington University Athletics
Colonials Fend Off Cougars In Coca Cola Classic
11/25/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, NJ (November 25) - The Colonials overcame a shaky first half to triumph over an inspired Washington State University Cougars, 76-62. The Cougs sprinted out to an 11 point lead in the first half, 17-6, capitalizing on early turnovers by the Colonials.
GW regrouped and slowly cut into the lead over the remainder of the first half, but could not take control of the game. Junior forward Elena Vishniakova (St. Petersburg, Russia/Heathwood Hall Columbia, SC) converted a lay-up with 7:20 left in the half to pull the Colonials even with the Cougs 20-20. Vishniakova was a force in the first half, scoring 11 points on 5-6 shooting. The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half with GW taking a slim lead of one point into the locker room. Both teams played a less than stellar first half, combining for 29 turnovers and 21 fouls. The Colonials struggled from the foul line, shooting 3-8 on the half.
Coach McKeown rallied the troops in the second half, and the Colonials came out firing on all cylinders, going on a 13-2 run in the first five minutes of play to extend their lead to 12, 42-30. Sophomore forward Erica Lawrence (Nyack, NY/Nyack) scored 12 of her 17 points in the second half, including going 6-6 from the line. The Colonials as a whole recovered from their poor performance from the charity stripe in the first half, shooting 22-23 from the line in the second half.
The Cougs clawed away at the lead, cutting it down to four with nine minutes to play. However, the Colonials reasserted themselves behind solid team play, converting free throws and taking care of the ball on offense. After committing 15 turnovers in the first half, GW only gave up the ball nine times in the second period, while forcing the Cougs into 12 turnovers.
The Colonials (2-1) will face the winner of the host team Rutgers and University of Vermont in the championship game of the Coca Cola Classic on Sunday at 3:00 pm.
