Home is where the start is

The Washington Post is reporting that Sarah-Jo Lawrence has been added to the Washington Mystics' training camp roster.

News explosion!

It has been a busy day in the world of GW basketball:
-Kimberly Beck was selected by the Seattle Storm in the third round of the 2008 WNBA Draft.
-The women's team is ranked #14 in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll of the season.
-The men's team will take part in the 2008 Rainbow Classic in Hawaii from December 27 to 30. The field will also include Clemson, Colorado, Colorado State, Coppin State, Hawaii, Pepperdine, and Vermont.

Blast from the past

Looks like Montrell McDonald might end up at Kansas State. Thanks to Julian Gompertz for the heads up.

Going to Tampa in a different way

Kimberly Beck and Sarah-Jo Lawrence have been invited to the WNBA's Pre-Draft Camp, which will be held this weekend in Tampa, FL. The league's draft will be held on April 9. You can read the press release here.

Beck named AP All-American Honorable Mention

Kimberly Beck has been named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press for the second-straight year. Beck is just the fourth player in program history to be selected as a two-time All-American. Here is the rest of the release, courtesy of team Sports Information Director Jesse Hooker:

"George Washington senior guard Kimberly Beck (Fairburn, GA/Woodward Academy) was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press for the second consecutive season Tuesday. She joins former Colonials’ standouts Darlene Saar (’95), Tajama Abraham (’97) and Noelia Gomez (’99) as a two-time All-America selection.

Beck, the 2008 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, averaged career-highs of 12.5 points and 6.2 assists during the 2007-08 season to help GW post a 27-7 record and reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. The Colonials fell to No. 7 Rutgers, 53-42, in the Greensboro regional semifinal Sunday night in their fourth-ever appearance in the Sweet 16.

One of 40 finalists for the 2008 WBCA State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team, Beck became just the second player in league history and 11^th player in NCAA Division I history to lead her conference in assists four consecutive seasons with her school-record 205 assists in 2007-08.

Along with being named A-10 Player of the Year, Beck also was chosen a first team All-Conference performer and All-Defensive Team selection for the third year-in-a-row and is one of nine final nominees for the 2008 Nancy Lieberman Award, which recognizes the nation’s top point guard. In 2007, Beck also was an AP honorable mention All-American and one of three finalists for the Lieberman Award.

Beck finished her four-year career as GW’s all-time leader with 717 assists and ranks 12th in scoring with 1,395 points. She also ranks second all-time at GW in steals (295), third in three-pointers (229), fourth in games played (129) and fifth in free throw percentage (.804). She is the only player in Division I women’s basketball history with at least 1,300 points, 700 assists, 300 rebounds, 200 steals and 60 blocks in her career.<

Beck, along with classmates Whitney Allen, Sarah-Jo Lawrence and Lora Mitchell, guided the Colonials to 101 victories, four A-10 regular-season titles and four NCAA Tournaments and a pair of Sweet 16 appearances during their careers."

Interview with Karl Hobbs

Here is the audio of the interview we conducted with GW men's basketball coach Karl Hobbs during halftime of yesterday's women's game vs. Rutgers. Hope you enjoy.

On the road with the Colonials: Day 10

At the end of today, GW will either be headed to the program's second-ever regional final appearance or on a bus back to the nation's capital. The day started with an 8.15 a.m. bus departure time for shoot-around, followed by breakfast. On another note, it's good to see GW men's coach Karl Hobbs here to support McKeown and company.

We are leaving for Greensboro Coliseum in 10 minutes, so please check back in a little while.

Update, 1.25 p.m. - The team received a send-off from the dance team and the Colonial Brass as it left the hotel (pictured to the left). Many more family members, students, and administrators have made the trip to Greensboro as opposed to the relatively small GW contingent that followed the squad around last week.

The team bus was accompanied by a police escort to Greensboro Coliseum (shown to the left - sorry for the glare in the picture, but the bus was packed and it was tough to maneuver around). As has been the case for each of the previous two NCAA Tournament games, the ride over was quiet, as everyone seemed dialed in on the task at hand.

It's almost time to get down to business. Check back for more after the broadcast, which you can hear here starting at two p.m.

Update, 6.02 p.m. - Well, it's all over. GW's season comes to a close here in Greensboro following a 53-42 loss to Rutgers. The Colonials battled for 40 minutes, cutting the deficit to four with just under four minutes left after trailing by 12 at intermission. However, Essence Carson scored the final nine points for the Scarlet Knights, ending the careers of Sarah-Jo Lawrence, Kimberly Beck, Whitney Allen, and Lora Mitchell.

It was a very emotional postgame scene. Lawrence and Beck were visibly upset during the press conference, while McKeown choked back tears at times. McKeown spoke of how proud he was of his seniors. It's hard to imagine what the program is going to be like without those players.

The mood was mixed on the bus ride back to the hotel. It's going to be a long trip back to Washington, D.C. The caravan should make it back to campus right around midnight. I'll be back with more tomorrow. Thanks to anyone and everyone who followed us on the road with the Colonials over the last couple of weeks. Also, special thanks to everyone around the program who made what we've done possible. It has truly been a pleasure, one that I will never forget.

Update, 12.23 a.m. - It was a surprisingly upbeat ride back to the nation's capital, as everyone enjoyed Enchanted and The Gameplan. However, there was also a sense of finality, as despite the fact that there is a team banquet in a few weeks, there is a good chance that the group that took the bus back from Greensboro may never all be together again. After spending five plus months together as a family, there was a strange feeling as everyone got off the bus back on campus.

I rode with the team back from Norfolk two years ago after the NCAA Tournament loss to Tennessee, and there was a sense of optimism when that ride ended at Guthridge Hall. However, it was truly the end of an era as the bus made its final stop a few minutes ago.

I'd like to once again thank everyone who checked out our posts from the road. Special thanks to everyone with the women's team for giving us such unprecedented access with the squad; we hope we didn't cause too much of a hassle. Again, it was a truly amazing experience.

Game 62: Women vs. Rutgers

The #20/16 women's team faces second-seeded #7/7 Rutgers (26-6) this afternoon in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament from Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. Sixth-seeded GW (27-6) is coming off of a 55-53 win over third-seeded #10/8 California on Monday night in Palo Alto, CA. Sarah-Jo Lawrence's putback of a Kimberly Beck air-ball as the buzzer sounded lifted the Colonials to the dramatic victory and sent the program to the Sweet 16 in back-to-back years for the first time in school history. In that one, three GW players reached double figures in scoring: Antelia Parrish (15 points, 10 rebounds), Lawrence (13 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals), and Jessica Adair (11 points, eight rebounds).

The Scarlet Knights, who were picked to finish second in the Big East, were tabbed at #3 in both preseason polls. Last season, Rutgers went 27-9 and was the national runner-up, falling to Tennessee 59-46 in the NCAA Tournament title game. The Scarlet Knights return all five starters from that team, and have four players averaging double figures in scoring: All-Big East First Team selection 5-9 sophomore guard Epiphanny Prince (14.1 points, 5.3 rebounds per game this season), All-Big East First Team selection 5-8 senior guard Matee Ajavon (12.2 points, 5.2 assists), Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team selection 6-0 senior guard/forward Essence Carson (10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds), and All-Big East Second Team selection 6-4 junior center Kia Vaughn (10.2 points, 8.3 rebounds). Coach C. Vivian Stringer is in her 13th season with the Scarlet Knights, holding a record of 283-131; she is 803-266 in 37 seasons as a head coach.

Rutgers is coming off of a 69-58 win over seventh-seeded Iowa State on Monday in Des Moines, IA. In that one, four Scarlet Knights reached double figures in scoring: Vaughn (23 points, five rebounds), Prince (17 points, six rebounds), Ajavon (16 points, six rebounds, seven assists, three steals), and Carson (10 points, three steals). Rutgers has been ranked in the top five in both national polls for much of the season, never falling lower than seventh. The Scarlet Knights are 12-5 away from Piscataway, NJ. This is Rutgers' 19th-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Scarlet Knights are 6-3 in regional semifinal games.

This is the 35th-ever meeting between these former Atlantic 10 rivals; GW is 8-26. The last meeting came on November 18, 2007, which #6/7 Rutgers won 67-42 at the Smith Center. In that one, Adair (nine points, five rebounds), Beck (nine points), and Lawrence (nine points, four rebounds) paced the #14/12 Colonials. However, GW was held to just 13-59 (22%) shooting from the field. The Scarlet Knights had three players reach double figures in scoring: Ajavon (19 points), Vaughn (13 points, 12 rebounds), and Carson (12 points, seven rebounds). Rutgers has won the last two meetings in the series.

There was something about seeing Rutgers yesterday during the team's media session and open practice. The players seemed a little too loose during their workout, laughing through many of the drills. Stringer didn't know Beck or Lawrence's name. Rutgers is talented enough to not prepare fully for GW and still win, but I smell all the makings of an upset. I have a sneaking suspicion the Colonials are the team that wants it more.

Paul Marmaro and I have the call for WRGW with Alex Tainsh, Ben Toder, and Julian Gompertz handling production duties. You can listen here starting at two p.m. Mike Patrick, Doris Burke, and Rebecca Lobo have the call for ESPN2. You can watch live starting at 2.30 p.m.

Game notes: GW is 18-14 in the NCAA Tournament...The Colonials are 1-2 in the regional semifinals...The win came against North Carolina in 1997...The losses were to Colorado in 1995 and North Carolina last season...GW is 3-1 as a six seed, having beaten Maine before falling to Virginia in 1996...McKeown is 18-16 in 16 NCAA Tournament appearances...McKeown's New Mexico State squads reached the tournament in 1987 and 1988...The current senior class is 6-3 in the NCAA Tournament...GW is 7-3 against teams that qualified for this season's tournament...The wins came against Virginia, Western Kentucky, Texas A&M, Auburn twice, California, and Xavier...The losses came to Rutgers, Temple, and Xavier...The Colonials have broken the program record for wins in back-to-back seasons...GW is 55-10 over the last two seasons...The Colonials went 54-13 from 1995 to 1997...GW is 5-2 on Sundays, 14-0 when scoring at least 70 points, and 18-0 when holding opponents under 60 points...The Colonials are 13-5 away from the Smith Center and 4-2 on neutral courts...This is Rutgers' fourth-straight Sweet 16 appearance...Carson appeared in her 131st career game against Iowa State, a record for the program...Vaughn needs just 13 points to become the 27th player in Rutgers history with 1,000 career points.

More to follow from Greensboro Coliseum once we get closer to tip-off. Please check back later.

Update, 5.59 p.m. - Here were the starting lineups:

GW
G - Kimberly Beck (5-8 senior from Fairburn, GA)
G - Sarah-Jo Lawrence (5-11 senior from Rhoadesville, VA)
F - Whitney Allen (5-11 senior from Woodbridge, VA)
F - Antelia Parrish (6-0 junior from Washington, DC)
C - Jessica Adair (6-4 junior from Washington, DC)

Rutgers
G - Matee Ajavon (5-8 senior from Newark, NJ)
G - Epiphanny Prince (5-9 sophomore from Brooklyn, NY)
F - Essence Carson (6-0 senior from Paterson, NJ)
F - Heather Zurich (6-1 junior from Montvale, NJ)
C - Kia Vaughn (6-4 junior from Bronx, NY)

GW's season comes to an end following a 53-42 loss to the Scarlet Knights. The Colonials trailed by 12 at the half, but closed within four with just under four minutes to play. However, Carson took over down the stretch, scoring the final nine points for Rutgers, who will face top-seeded Connecticut on Tuesday with a Final Four bid on the line.

On the road with the Colonials: Day nine

Good morning from rainy Greensboro, NC. The team just got done with the detailed Rutgers scouting report and film session, which followed a nine a.m. breakfast (no photographic evidence because who really wants their picture taken that early?). It is clear that the squad learned a lot from the November 18 matchup. Tomorrow's contest should be an interesting one.

Everyone departs the hotel at 12.45 p.m. for practice and a media session. I'll be back with more from Greensboro Coliseum around then. Please check back later.

Update, 1.55 p.m. - It was a rainy 15-minute ride from the hotel to Greensboro Coliseum (pictured to the left). The team arrived just in time for its media session. Coach Joe McKeown was up first, followed by Jessica Adair, Kimberly Beck, and Sarah-Jo Lawrence (also pictured to the left). Quotations and other fun nuggets of information to come later on after the squad's practice, which is just getting underway.

For those wondering, the blue NCAA logo at midcourt is now built into the floor. There had been issues of players slipping on the sticker in the previous rounds on both the men's and women's sides, but the staff here installed it into the hardwood yesterday.

Update, 2.12 p.m. - WRGW alum Mike Patrick (GW class of 1966) is here preparing for tomorrow's ESPN broadcasts (he's shown to the left talking to McKeown - I know it's from a distance, but I already went over there and bothered him once, so I felt badly doing it again). We talked to him for a little while, and Patrick said that WRGW started covering basketball during his time with the station; before then, football had been the only thing on the airwaves. He said he made the decision to start broadcasting games after he realized he couldn't cut it as a baseball player. Patrick said he went to WRGW and asked if they needed any sports announcers, and they had him on the air two hours later. He also told us that basketball broadcasts cost the station about $6 per game during his tenure at WRGW. If you've never met him, Patrick is a really nice guy. Thanks to him for taking five minutes out of his busy schedule to give us an entire lesson on broadcasting.

Update, 2.39 p.m. - Paul Marmaro went to cover the Rutgers media session while I watched GW's practice. He brought back the audio from coach C. Vivian Stringer, and here is part of what she had to say about the Colonials: "While Peck has been, Beck has been the point guard, I think that Mary-Jo and the other players are stepping up." Oops!

We'll post the text from the session later.

Update, 2.51 p.m. - GW's practice (pictured to the left) is wrapping up. The players and coaches were extremely focused during the 50-minute session, and everyone seems to be happy with how it went.

We're going to stick around and watch the Rutgers practice, so check back for more in a little while.

Update, 3.26 p.m. - Rutgers is currently practicing here at Greensboro Coliseum (pictured to the left). The team started out loose, sharing a ton of jokes, but now they've buckled down and have started to run through a number of drills. The guards are to our right with Stringer, while the post players are on the opposite end of the floor.

We're going to get some lunch, then we'll be back with all of the quotations from the GW and Rutgers media sessions. Please check back in a little while.

Update, 5.20 p.m. - Here are the quotations from the GW and Rutgers media sessions:

Opening statement by McKeown: "We are excited to be at the regionals again. We were here last year. Coming off of the final 16 with a lot of players back, obviously the goal is to first get to the tournament, and then try to do the best you can. We have a great matchup with Rutgers on Sunday. They are a terrific team. Obviously, they are one of the best teams in the country. it should be fun because it's a team I think we are really excited for."

McKeown on how both teams have changed since their meeting in November: "I think both are battle-tested. Rutgers, who has beaten Connecticut, has had some great wins along the way. In some respects, the game against Tennessee, you could almost chalk that up as a win. They are playing really well. Naturally, they play great in this tournament. Coming off of those two games in California really gives us some momentum and some confidence, and we're starting to get healthy. I think both teams are hitting their strides at the right time."

McKeown on what went wrong in the first game against Rutgers: "It just snowballed. We got off to a bad start and Rutgers played really well. We couldn't get on track. It was just one of those things."

McKeown on his team's NCAA Tournament experience: "The margin of error really narrows when you get to this round. Last year, it was North Carolina for us. When you make a mistake, sometimes in the regular season you can get away with it. When you make a mistake against North Carolina, it snowballs. We preached all year that when you get into the tournament, everyone's good. There's no one playing right now that isn't good. We have to play better, too, and step our game up. Last year, against Carolina, we could never get on track. This time it's about taking care of our business."

McKeown on what makes Rutgers so tough: "Obviously, what makes them so dangerous is their balance, how they can hurt you in so many ways. If you have to double Kia Vaughn, you're leaving someone else open. They remind me of an NBA team in how they get shots off in the last five or six seconds of the shot clock. They're very patient and any number of people on that team can make the shot."

McKeown on the play of Antelia Parrish: "She's a big part of what we do right now. She's somebody who can play a lot of different positions. She can rebound, she can shoot, she can jump inside when you need her, and she is also a terrific passer. She's just an all-around player."

Lawrence on if there is any extra incentive after already losing to Rutgers by 25 points this season: "It definitely offers incentive. We're reminded of that loss, and it's one of those losses that you can't not think about. It gives us incentive to show that we're not the team that everyone saw. That's really not us at all. We're ready to prove that that wasn't really GW."

Beck on what the team has learned from previous NCAA Tournament games: "They are all physical and are all really aggressive. Rutgers isn't any different, so we know we really have to bring it to them and have to be aggressive on the boards and on defense. I think it will help us a lot."

Adair on facing Kia Vaughn: "She's a great post player. I think she's one of the best in the tournament this year. I have to bring my A-game and go at her. Playing against her already, I know what to expect, and it should be a great matchup."

Adair on what the team learned from the game against Rutgers in November: "We have to come out stronger and really bring our A-game and play hard for 40 minutes. We've played against them before, so that's definitely an advantage that we have."

Same question for Beck: "It helps us that we've played them before and we know what to expect. We have to be more aggressive. We got in a little foul trouble down low, but I think we'll be fine."

Same question for Lawrence: "We have to step up and play at a higher level."

Stringer on how GW has changed since the first meeting: "That's always a concern for us, so we better be on high alert because (GW) didn't get here hoping and praying. I think they are focused a little bit more, going inside to the big girl. They were trying to do that before, but weren't as successful...The (GW) players are stepping it up. They are intense. We have to be patient and find the open player. They are also changing the scheme. Obviously, they are comfortable enough in their own system that they can make changes and cause us not to be as strong (as in November). They are a better team (than they were in November). We have to be concerned."

The team has dinner in a little while, followed by an evening of film sessions. I'll be back later with more.

Update, 11.57 p.m. - The team had dinner and a film session, which was closed to the media. The bus departs at 8.15 a.m. tomorrow for a shoot-around. We'll be back in the morning. Please check back then.

On the road with the Colonials: Day eight

The GW caravan departs the Smith Center for Greensboro, NC at 1 p.m. today. More to follow after the roughly five-hour drive. Please check back later.

Update, 7.14 p.m. - Good evening from Greensboro. The team had a nice send-off (pictured to the left) at the Smith Center, as the cheer team and the Colonial Brass joined administrators, students, members of the men's team, and local news affiliates (seen talking to Sarah-Jo Lawrence on the left) to see the team board the bus for North Carolina. The group Mambo Sauce, whose song 'Welcome to D.C.' has been adopted by the squad (and is also used in WRGW's postseason introduction), was also present to pass out some materials and wish the team well.

The ride took about six hours. Along the way, I Am Legend and August Rush were shown. We made one stop somewhere in Virginia, where a football was tossed around on the grass. Life was good.

Time for dinner, which is the final activity of the day. Back with more tomorrow. Please check back then.

Channeling Johnny Most

By request, here is Paul Marmaro and my WRGW call of the closing moments of Monday night's game against California. All I can say in my defense is that I had never lost my voice during a broadcast before. Our own Thomas Wall suggested I bring some Ricola to the next one.

I tried to post it in here with the fancy little tool that we often use, but each time I attempt to, it slows down the audio for some reason. My apologies.

Business time

The field for the Sweet 16 is set, as sixth-seeded George Washington will face second-seeded Rutgers at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC on Sunday at 2.30 p.m. Top-seeded Connecticut will battle fifth-seeded Old Dominion at noon in the other regional semifinal.

Also, I've received a few requests to post the final call from Monday night's game. I'll do that when I get to the studio later today.

Beck nominated for All-America honors

Kimberly Beck has been named one of 40 finalists for the 2008 State Farm Coaches' All-America Basketball Team. You can read the full release here.

Last week, Beck was named one of 52 regional finalists for the WBCA All-America Team. That release can be found here.

California roundup: Carolina in my mind

-Alex Byers of The Hatchet has the story. Joanna Shapes writes on the emotion of the night.
-Damin Esper has the recap in a special to The Washington Post.
-The summary from The Washington Times is here.
-The Associated Press story is here.
-School recaps: GW and California.

Rutgers' 69-58 win over Iowa State last night means the Colonials will get a rematch with the Scarlet Knights on Sunday in Greensboro, North Carolina. GW's win marks the first time in school history that a team has reached the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons.

On the road with the Colonials: Day seven

The AirTran charter flight from San Jose touched down at Dulles Airport at 6.15 a.m. From there, it was a short ride back to the Smith Center. Despite a lack of sleep, a new time zone, the cold weather, and an early start, it was still all smiles during the ride from those who were awake.

I've been told the team will not depart for Greensboro, NC until Friday. I'll be back then. Check back for any pertinent updates before the trip to North Carolina.

On the road with the Colonials: Day six

At the end of today, either California or GW will be dancing all the way to the Sweet 16 in Greensboro, NC, while the other will be heading home following a loss in the second round.

GW has an 8.30 a.m. shoot-around. The session is closed to the media, so there will be no update. Afterwards, the squad will lay low before departing for Maples Pavilion in the early part of the afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for five p.m. Pacific Time.

With the lack of activity before today's game and the large amount of material I need to get through (some of which is pictured to the left), updates could be few and far between. However, I'll report anything noteworthy when necessary. I have posted today's game preview below. Please check back later for more.

Update, 11.24 a.m. - Good morning on this final day in California. Win or lose, the squad will take a 10.15 p.m. charter from San Jose to Dulles Airport.

GW's shoot-around was pushed back, so the team departed for Stanford about 45 minutes ago. Again, the session was closed to the media, so there is nothing to report at this time. I've been told the squad will leave for the game around three p.m. local time. I'll be back with more later.

Update, 4.36 p.m. - The team departed the hotel a little after three p.m. to the encouragement of the cheer squad and the music of the Colonial Brass (pictured to the left). The bus ride over to Maples Pavilion was quiet, as most of the players opted to listen to music.

For the first time since we've been in California, the squad got a police escort (pictured to the left) from the California Highway Patrol over to Palo Alto (let the Chips jokes begin).

Time to get to work. We'll be back with a postgame wrap-up when it's all said and done. Just a reminder that you can listen to the broadcast here starting at 7.30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Update, 7.19 p.m. - In one of the most unbelievable finishes you'll ever see, GW rallies from a seven-point deficit in the final four minutes to stun California 55-53 on a buzzer-beater by Sarah-Jo Lawrence. With just under six seconds remaining, Whitney Allen inbounded to Kimberly Beck, who air-balled a floater from the far wing. Lawrence grabbed the rebound and released the shot with a second remaining. The officials went to the television monitor to review it, and the result was a sea of buff and blue celebrating on the NCAA logo at half court.

California had the ball with the shot clock off when Natasha Vital was trapped by Lawrence and Allen. The officials ruled Vital traveled before calling a timeout, which set up the dramatic finish. In the postgame press conference, Golden Bears coach Joanne Boyle said, "She didn't travel." That call is sure to be talked about for weeks to come.

I've been told it's a raucous scene in the locker room. From here, the team will get on the bus and head to the airport in San Jose for what is sure to be a joyous red eye flight back to the nation's capital. GW will face either second-seeded Rutgers or seventh-seeded Iowa State on Sunday in Greensboro, NC. There are at least 40 more minutes left in the careers of Beck, Lawrence, Allen, and Lora Mitchell.

I'll be back in the morning on the other side of the flight with more. Please check back then.

Game 61: Women vs. California

The #20/16 women's team faces third-seeded #10/8 California (27-6) this evening in the second round of the NCAA Tournament from Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, CA. Sixth-seeded GW (26-6) is coming off of a 66-56 win over 11th-seeded Auburn on Saturday. In that one, four Colonials reached double figures in scoring: Jessica Adair (17 points, 13 rebounds), Antelia Parrish (15 points, seven rebounds, three steals), Sarah-Jo Lawrence (11 points, six rebounds, five assists), and Whitney Allen (11 points, eight rebounds). GW is making its sixth-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 15th overall, all of which have come under the direction of head coach Joe McKeown. Last season, the fifth-seeded Colonials knocked off 12th-seeded Boise State and fourth-seeded Texas A&M before falling to top-seeded North Carolina in the regional semifinals.

The Golden Bears, who were picked to finish third out of 10 teams in the Pacific 10 Conference, return four starters from the squad that went 23-9 and lost to Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. California has three players averaging double figures in scoring: First Team All-Pac-10 selections 6-1 junior forward/center Ashley Walker (15.2 points, 9.3 rebounds per game this season), who led the conference in rebounding and double-doubles, and 6-3 junior forward/center Devanei Hampton (13.9 points, eight rebounds), who was also named to the conference's All-Defensive Team, and Second Team All-Pac-10 selection 5-8 junior guard Alexis Gray-Lawson (1.5 points, 3.7 rebounds). Coach Joanne Boyle is 68-27 in her third season at California; she is 135-56 in six seasons as a head coach. Boyle was the head coach at Richmond from 2002 to 2005, where she went 0-7 against McKeown's GW squads. Coming into the NCAA Tournament, the Golden Bears ranked 12th in the nation in scoring defense, sixth in defensive field goal percentage, and ninth in rebounding margin.

California is coming off of a 77-60 win over 14th-seeded San Diego on Saturday. In that one, two Golden Bears reached double figures in scoring: Hampton (22 points, four rebounds) and Walker (21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals). California shot 30-62 (48.4%) from the field, forced 24 San Diego turnovers, and won the points in the paint battle 48-20. The win was just the second in the program's NCAA Tournament history, the fitst since 1993. The Golden Bears come into this one 4-3 in their last seven games. California reached the final of the Pacific 10 Conference Tournament before falling to #4/7 Stanford 56-35. The Golden Bears are 14-5 away from their home court and 3-1 on neutral floors.

This is the first-ever meeting between these programs.

This is a tough pick to make. GW struggled the last time it faced a team with a heavy interior presence, losing to Xavier in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. If the Adair sisters get into foul trouble, it could be a rough night for the Colonials. However, it seems as though this team is up to the challenge California presents. The pick here is for GW to reach the Sweet 16 for the second-straight year.

Paul Marmaro and I have the call for WRGW with Greg Shapiro, Julian Gompertz, David Earl, and Ben Toder handling production duties. You can listen here starting at 7.30 p.m. Eastern Time. Dave Pasch, Deb Antonelli, and Heather Cox have the call for ESPN2. You can watch live starting at eight p.m. Eastern Time.

Game notes: GW is 17-14 in the NCAA Tournament...The Colonials are 3-9 in the second round...GW is 2-1 as a six seed, having beaten Maine before falling to Virginia in 1996...McKeown is 17-16 in 16 NCAA Tournament appearances...McKeown's New Mexico State squads reached the tournament in 1987 and 1988...The current senior class is 5-3 in the NCAA Tournament...GW is 6-3 against teams that qualified for this season's tournament...The wins came against Virginia, Western Kentucky, Texas A&M, Auburn twice, and Xavier...The losses came to Rutgers, Temple, and Xavier...GW is 7-3 against teams from the Pac-10...The Colonials have matched the program record for wins in back-to-back seasons...GW is 54-10 over the last two seasons...The Colonials went 54-13 from 1995 to 1997...GW is 1-0 on Mondays, 14-0 when scoring at least 70 points, and 17-0 when holding opponents under 60 points...The Colonials are 12-5 away from the Smith Center and 3-2 on neutral courts...California's 27 wins are the most in program history...The previous record was set by the 1983-1984 squad, which went 24-8...The Golden Bears are 2-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament...Walker is averaging 20.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in three career NCAA Tournament games...The Golden Bears are 7-5 against teams that qualified for this season's tournament.

More to follow from Maples Pavilion once we get closer to tip-off. Please check back later.

Update, 7.27 p.m. - Here were the starting lineups:

GW
G - Kimberly Beck (5-8 senior from Fairburn, GA)
G - Sarah-Jo Lawrence (5-11 senior from Rhoadesville, VA)
F - Whitney Allen (5-11 senior from Woodbridge, VA)
F - Antelia Parrish (6-0 junior from Washington, DC)
C - Jessica Adair (6-4 junior from Washington, DC)

California
G - Natasha Vital (5-8 sophomore from Stockton, CA)
G - Alexis Gray-Lawson (5-8 junior from Oakland, CA)
G - Lauren Greif (5-10 sophomore from Portland, OR)
F - Ashley Walker (6-1 junior from Fairfield, CA)
C - Devanei Hampton (6-3 junior from Oakland, CA)

Lawrence is the hero as her buzzer-beating jumper off an offensive rebound sends the Colonials dancing onto Greensboro, NC, where they will face either second-seeded Rutgers or seventh-seeded Iowa State on Sunday. The Scarlet Knights pounded the Colonials 67-42 when the two teams met at the Smith Center on November 18. That was the beginning of a stretch that saw McKeown's squad lose three of its next five games.

GW heads to the Sweet 16 for the second-straight year, marking the first time in program history that the Colonials have reached the regional semifinals in back-to-back years. Unfortunately, I have a flight to catch, so we'll be back in the morning with much more. As always, thanks for stopping by.

On the road with the Colonials: Day five

Good morning from Santa Clara. While it is Easter Sunday, there is no break for the team as it prepares for tomorrow's matchup with California. After breakfast, the team sat and watched the film of yesterday's Auburn game (pictured above). Now the coaching staff is presenting the detailed scouting report on the Golden Bears.

Now it's off to practice and the news conferences. Back with more in a little while.

Update, 12.10 p.m. - Back in the media wing of the Arrillaga Family Sports Center. The team is currently practicing across the street in Maples Pavilion. The session is closed to the media, so there is nothing to report at the moment. I will ask about it at the GW news conference, which begins at 1.50 p.m. Please check back later.

Update, 2.11 p.m. - The team just got done with its media session (pictured to the left). Coach Joe McKeown and company said they are looking forward to tomorrow's matchup against Cal. One of the keys mentioned a couple of times was not being too edgy like the squad was in the first half against Auburn yesterday. I'll get to work on transcribing the full conference on the bus ride back to the hotel. Check back in a little while.

Update, 6.36 p.m. - My apologies for the delay. Here are the highlights from the GW press conference:

McKeown's opening statement: "I'm very happy, obviously, to get past Auburn, and looking forward to a great matchup against Cal tomorrow night, and it should be a really exciting basketball game. I thought we played really well, kept our poise in the last 10 minutes of the game yesterday. I thought we struggled a little bit in the first half, but I was really proud of the way our players kept their composure, and they did what we had to do, basically, at the end of the game. Cal presents some different challenges for us. Obviously a strong inside game with Hampton and the other players, Walker. Their perimeter, Alexis Gray-Lawson, and it seems like they just have a lot of key parts who can shoot. They've had a great year, so it should be a terrific matchup."

McKeown on today's practice: "In the NCAA Tournament, in my experience, and you know we've been very fortunate to be in, I don't know, 15 or 16 of them. To me, what happened yesterday I'm not really that concerned with because we get a chance to play tomorrow. To be honest with you, I think our focus was more about Cal, and in all honesty, more about us, more about the things that we have to do to be successful tomorrow night and just play. I think the biggest thing you can do in this tournament, in the years that we've been able to get through a couple round has been not worrying about what happened the night before, and I think that's our attitude right now."

McKeown on if his familiarity with California coach Joanne Boyle from her days Richmond: "She did a terrific job at Ricmond, and put Richmond into the NCAA Tournament, and obviously has very quickly put Cal into the top 10 in college basketball, so I admire how quickly she has gotten this team to play at this level. I do think she's running, just when you watch a little bit of film, I've seen them on television a little bit because I stay up late, most coaches don't sleep, and just seeing some of the same things she did at Richmond. But I think they've done a real good job of adjusting to the players they've got here at Cal and trying to fit what would be successful with Devanei Hampton. She didn't really have that type of player at Richmond. Nobody did."

McKeown on making the adjustment from having a week to prepare for Auburn to two days for California: "Obviously the other team has the same situation. Although, I think at GW we're pretty much focused more on us than the other team. What we did preparing for Auburn was interesting because we just played them in January, so we had a lot of things to go off of. Cal obviously we haven't played at all. But in all honesty, I think in ways when you win a game in the NCAA Tournament...you want to play again. You really don't want to sit there and watch 26 scouting reports, 82 films, you know how coaches are. But these guys just want to play, so I think in a way if you're a player, you'd rather just turn around, play Saturday, and you're excited to play Monday."

Same question for Kimberly Beck: "We're all excited to be here and a week of practice was good. We needed the practice and we needed the rest and we needed to work on our execution, but we just wanted to get here and play. That's what the NCAA Tournament is all about. All the waiting around is nice, but we just want to get out there and play against somebody else other than ourselves in practice. So we're excited about Cal tomorrow, and it's going to be a great matchup."

Jessica Adair on the keys to battling the Golden Bears down low: "Stay out of foul trouble, bring my A-game tomorrow, and keep them off the boards, box out. Their post players are very good inside. I mean, it's the base of their team, and stopping them, I think we have a great chance to win."

Sarah-Jo Lawrence on what the team did well against Auburn: "I think we attacked as we needed to. We definitely rebounded. That's been a bit of a focus for us throughout the whole season...I think we were very unselfish as a team. It's hard to say you just stop two players on GW and they're going to fold. We have a starting lineup and bench players that can hang with pretty much anybody in the country, so I think it was sharing the ball, hitting the open people, and finishing and-ones all night that was really what made our game so interesting and so fun to play in, so I think we did a great job."

From talking to some of the California players, it seems as though Rama N'diaye will not be playing tomorrow night. N'diaye injured her right knee during the second half of yesterday's win over San Diego. This would be a big loss for the Golden Bears, as the 6-5 sophomore is third on the team in rebounding and fifth in scoring. N'diaye is usually the first player off the bench for Boyle, and the most talented interior reserve on the squad. In a game that will likely be decided in the post, the absence of N'diaye could be a major factor.

It's almost dinner time for the team. I'll be back with more later.

Update, 8.59 p.m. - The team is settling in for another film session. It's closed to the media, so there will be no update, but McKeown said he was ready to buckle down for a long night of Cal preparation.

This is the final business activity of the evening for the squad. Tomorrow brings an 8.30 a.m. shoot-around. I'll be back then.

Auburn roundup: Stayin' alive

-Alex Byers of The Hatchet has the story. Joanna Shapes writes on the play of Antelia Parrish.
-Julian Gompertz of The Daily Colonial has the recap.
-John Reid has the story in a special to The Washington Post.
-The Washington Times has the Associated Press story.
-School recaps: GW and Auburn.

Nice win for the Colonials, as they advance to the second round for the fourth-straight year. Keep checking the blog for more updates from California.

In other news, the GW baseball team beat St. Joseph's yesterday in the first game ever played at Nationals Park.

On the road with the Colonials: Day four

It's gameday. Months of practices and games have all led up to this day, which begins with an eight a.m. breakfast for the team. Everyone will then get on the bus at 9.15 a.m. to make the 15-minute drive to Maples Pavilion.

More to follow after breakfast. Please check back then.

Update, 8.19 a.m. - Well, if you were concerned about the early start time's impact on the team, don't be. Everyone was wide awake and in good spirits at breakfast. More to follow from Maples Pavilion.

Update, 10.09 a.m. - The team departed the hotel with a big send-off by the Colonial Brass and the cheer team (picture to the left). The 15-minute bus ride over to Maples Pavilion was quiet, as most players had headphones on.

The new most awkward moment of the week took place when the bus pulled into the arena. The Auburn band, thinking it was the Tigers' bus, lined up in front of the vehicle and prepared to play their fight song. When the GW coaching staff saw this, they told the players to get off the bus first. Needless to say, the Auburn band was extremely confused.

Time to get to work, as tip-off is less than an hour away. We'll try to get one more update up before then. Just a reminder that you can listen to the game here starting at 1.30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Update, 1.34 p.m. - It's a joyous locker room as the Colonials beat Auburn 66-56, winning in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight year. After being held to just one field goal in the final six minutes of the first half, GW picked up the pace of the game after intermission and embarked upon a 28-12 run to close the contest. The Colonials will face either third-seeded California or 14th-seeded San Diego in the second round on Monday at either five p.m. or 7.30 p.m. Pacific Time. The team is now spread around Maples Pavilion watching the Cal-USD contest.

In the postgame press conference (pictured to the left), McKeown talked about his team's desire to win as the deciding factor in the game. The media session just ended, so I'm going to get to work on transcribing everything that was said. Please check back in a little while.

Update, 2.36 p.m. - I posted this in the game thread, but here are some notes from today's contest:

-Beck's seven assists move her into a tie for the single-season GW record with 197. During the game, Beck also moved into second place in program history in steals with 293 for her career.
-GW is now 13-2 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
-Adair recorded her 12th career double-double, but just her second of the season. The other came against against South Dakota State on November 23.

I'm still sitting in the media room (picture to the left) working on transcribing the audio. I was a couple minutes late to the press conference because we were wrapping up our postgame show, so I'm waiting for the on-site NCAA staff to issue the official release.

Update, 4.05 p.m. - We're all back at the hotel in Santa Clara. The only thing on tonight's itinerary is dinner somewhere in the city. Here are the highlights from the postgame press conferences:

McKeown's opening statement: "(Auburn) proved today that they deserved to be in this tournament. We were a little jumpy in the first half. We were just excited to play in the tournament. We have a lot of seniors, and I felt we just needed to settle down. I thought in the second we did a much better job. I thought the last six or seven minutes we really played well and kept our composure. It was a tough, hard-nosed game, and that is what you would expect from this tournament and Auburn."

McKeown on halftime adjustments: "I thought in the second half, everyone started to step it up. We were much more aggressive at pushing the ball. Their zone was tough and they stayed in their zone. They wouldn't get out of it. We just had to keep getting the ball inside out, keep reversing the ball. I thought Whitney made some big plays behind their zone and Antelia made big plays in fromt of the zone, and that opened things up for Jessica."

Whitney Allen on guarding DeWanna Bonner: "In the second half we just locked down and tried to stay between her and the basket. She's a long and tall player; I think she has three inches on me. I just made sure I stayed in between her and the basket and tried to use my strength as a positive. I sat on her a lot. Don't let her get the ball, she can't score: that was my thinking."

Jessica Adair on rebounding: "Without rebounds, this game could have turned the other way. There comes a point in the game when you know something is going wrong, and you have you take control of that, and I think that is what we did."

McKeown on the play of Parrish and Allen: "We got double-whammied in December when they missed five games with injuries. Antelia was really playing well, and I just think that that time really hurt them. Antelia is somebody who can stretch a game out and just change the way people have to play defense. I'm really proud of her for the way she played tonight. Hopefully, Monday night she will start drilling threes at the end of the game. That's my challenge for her, and she's capable. I'm just really proud of the way she plays defense and the toughness she brings to the table, and I'm glad she will be back next year."

Auburn coach Nell Fortner's opening statement: "I thought we fought really hard today, we just couldn't really knock down some shots in the second half. I thought GW is a fine basketball team, and they just overpowered us in the second half. I was proud of how hard we played, but you have to knock down shots, and we just hit a period of time there where shots weren't dropping for us, and they made a pretty good run at us."

Fortner on GW's defense of Bonner: "Bonner has been playing big for us all year long. Game in and game out, she has been giving us everything she's got. I really think in the second half she was tired. She played 40 minutes and GW is a physical team, and it was a matter of getting tired at a key time, and I thought they denied her the ball pretty good. I thought it was a great defensive effort by GW."

Bonner on GW's defense: "I agree with coach: I think how many minutes I played counted. They were very physical with all five of us on the floor."

Fortner on the rematch with the Colonials: "It was helpful because we had seen them before. They are a very physical defensive team. They're very tough and they had a big post presence inside, and I think we were pretty much outmatched inside. I thought we were trying to do some things to try to affect their post players, and we did at times. But in the end, I think it wore us out. They do a great job in that matchup zone denying and playing it like a man. I think they're a very good basketball team."

That should be it for tonight. The team is practicing from 11 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. at Stanford tomorrow, followed by a media session from 1.50 to 2.20 p.m. I'll be back then.

Update, 10.52 p.m. - Just found out that GW will tip-off against California at five p.m. Pacific Time on Monday.