George Washington University Athletics
GW Opens Tiger-Filled Weekend With #10/10 Auburn
12/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2008
GW vs. Auburn Notes 
| | GW All-Access
WASHINGTON, DC - George Washington hosts 10th-ranked Auburn, a team it has become very familiar with the past three seasons, 7:30 pm Friday night at Smith Center. The Colonials and Tigers meet for the fourth time in just over two calendar years and for the third time in 2008. Friday's game is the fifth of seven straight home games for GW, which marks the longest homestand in program history.
After being idle for 14 days, GW (5-3) avoided an upset with a 63-61 victory over Troy Tuesday at Smith Center. The Colonials scored six points in the final minute, capped by sophomore Erica Rivera's game-winning free throws with 11 seconds left, to post the come-from-behind victory. Freshman Tara Booker knocked down four 3-pointers to lead GW with a career-high 18 points and nine rebounds. Senior Jessica Adair, who had a streak of 70 consecutive starts snapped, finished with 15 points and nine boards off the bench.
Senior Antelia Parrish is expected to return Friday following a one-game suspension for violating a team rule, while R-senior Lisa Steele remains questionable with an ankle injury.
GW has won each of the three previous meetings with Auburn, one victory apiece at home, on the road and at a neutral site, with each occuring within the past 24 months:
Dec. 16, 2006, Washington, DC - No. 20 GW led by double-digits much of the first half, but Auburn closed within 50-49 with less than six minutes left. The Colonials closed with a 12-2 run to win 62-51.
Jan. 3, 2008, Auburn, AL - R-Junior Lisa Steele's three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left lifted No. 20/19 GW to a 68-66 upset at No. 18/18 Auburn. The Colonials led the opening 33 minutes before Auburn thrice took the lead the final seven minutes until Steele's heroics.
March 22, 2008, Stanford, CA - In an NCAA Tournament first round game, 11-seed Auburn led 44-38 with 12:44 left, but 6-seed No. 20/16 GW closed on a 28-12 run to advance to the second round en route to the Sweet 16. Auburn leading scorer DeWanna Bonner was held scoreless the final 13 minutes.
The Colonials are 24-84 all-time against ranked opponents over 33 seasons, including a 15-26 mark against ranked foes at Smith Center. However, since its Elite 8 season in 1996-97, GW is 12-8 against Top 25 teams at home. The Colonials are 7-42 all-time against Top 10 teams, with two of those victories coming last season - last-second thrillers versus No. 10/10 Texas A&M at Smith Center and No. 10/8 Cal in Stanford, CA. GW has beaten at least one ranked opponent in each of the past six seasons, in nine of the last 10 years, and 10 of the last 12.
Tonight's prime match-up will pit Auburn's high-powered offense against GW's physical defense. The Tigers enter with the nation's fourth-best offense at 84.2 ppg, while the Colonials boast the nation's eighth-best defense in terms of opponents' field-goal percentage at 33.0 percent. AU also is ranked in the top 6 in the NCAA in field-goal percentage (47.5%) and three-point shooting (45.1%), while GW is 16th in the nation with 5.9 blocked shots per game.
At 10-0, Auburn is off to its best start in six seasons and is at its highest ranking since reaching No. 9 in Dec. 2000. The Tigers have won their 10 games by an average of 24.2 points, including five 90-plus point performances, and boasts the nation's fourth-best offense (84.2 ppg) and second-best three-point shooting (45.1 percent). DeWanna Bonner, an honorable mention All-American last season, leads the team and SEC in scoring at 19.5 points per game.
AU has been idle for 12 days since a 64-53 come-from-behind victory at Liberty Dec. 7.  The following day, senior point guard Whitney Boddie was named SEC Player of the Week after averaging 10.7 points, 10.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds in a 3-0 week. Boddie posted the second triple-double in school history with 12 points, 13 assists and 10 boards in a 119-54 victory over Sam Houston State Dec. 5.
GW welcomes more Tigers to Smith Center Sunday afternoon when it hosts Princeton at 2:00 pm. Sunday's game will likely be the much-anticipated debut of Yolanda Lavender, a 2007 honorable mention All-ACC transfer from Wake Forest.
