George Washington University
American
Colonials Comeback Bid Falls Short at American, 64-60
12/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC - Despite career-high scoring efforts from redshirt senior Ivy Abiona and redshirt sophomore Brooke Wilson, the George Washington women's basketball team couldn't complete its second-half comeback bid and dropped a 64-60 decision at cross-town rival American at Bender Arena Saturday.
Abiona matched her career-high with 14 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and Wilson set a new career-mark with 13, but GW (5-6) missed on two opportunities to tie or take the lead with 30 seconds remaining to lose its second straight game. It was also the Colonials' third straight loss to the Eagles in the programs' first meeting since 1998.
American (6-4) led throughout, thanks in large part to 61.5 percent shooting in the first half that left GW in a 38-27 deficit at the break.
Junior Tara Booker made one of her three 3-pointers to cap a 14-3 run that evened the score at 41-41 just 5:30 into the second half. Booker finished with 11 points, six rebounds and game-high four steals.
Alexis Dobbs, who led all scorers with 16 points, scored in transition and Liz Leer, who added 13 points, hit a three-pointer two minutes later to give the Eagles a 46-41 cushion, a lead they wouldn't relinquish the rest of the afternoon.
After falling behind 54-47, the Colonials managed to climb within a point of the lead twice in the final four minutes, the last time on Booker's toe-on-the-line two-point jumper to make it 59-58 with 30.7 seconds left.
Head coach Mike Bozeman called timeout after the basket to set up full-court denial on the inbound play. American was called for a five-second violation to give GW a chance to tie or take the lead, but sophomore Danni Jackson's inbounds pass intended for junior Sara Mostafa was tipped away and Dobbs made two free throws with 27.7 ticks left for a 61-58 advantage.
With no timeouts remaining, Jackson pushed into the frontcourt and dished off to freshman Chelisa Painter, who had a pass deflected toward midcourt where Dobbs was fouled again. Dobbs added both foul shots and Leer tacked on another after a quick Wilson putback of a Booker miss for the four-point 64-60 final margin.
GW shot better than 50 percent (15-29, 51.7%) in the second half for the second straight game and finished at 42.6 percent (26-61) from the field. AU cooled to 26.1 percent (6-23) in the second half to finish at 44.9 percent (22-49).
The Colonials used a 20-4 edge in points in the paint in the second half for a 28-24 advantage in the category, but made just 3-of-10 free throws.
GW is idle the next 10 days before traveling to south Florida for the Mayfair Hotel & Spa Holiday Classic and University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL. The Colonials play the host Hurricanes on Tuesday, Dec. 28, and Morgan State on Wednesday, Dec. 29.
