Monday, December 29

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The beginning of GW’s meeting with No. 15/14 Rutgers (AP/USA Today) Monday night played out like a cliché underdog story, the less heralded visitors trading blows with their nationally-ranked hosts, familiar nemeses that bested them twice a season prior. The climax came when three-pointers by seniors Antelia Parrish and Yolanda Lavender sandwiched a Rutgers response to give the Colonials a one-point advantage and a sliver of momentum with five minutes left before halftime.

But GW’s peak would be too soon – and that lead their last – as the Scarlet Knights kept the Colonials scoreless for the next seven-plus minutes and opened a lead that ultimately held through the end for a 57-47 win.

It’s become a familiar story for the Colonials (7-3), who have hung with but eventually fallen to a number of big-time programs in recent history.

“I’m tired of making these speeches to my kids,” head coach Mike Bozeman said after the game. “First, Tennessee – right there with that game. Auburn: fought back to be right in that game. And come here to this place and to play Rutgers like we just played them – I’m tired of those kind of moral victories.”

Rutgers went on a 10-0 run during a 7:21 stretch that straddled halftime while the Colonials missed seven consecutive shots and turned the ball over six times. It was a drastic change from the early stages of the game when Parrish and Lavender got hot from beyond the arc, making five of eight three-point attempts.

Lavender explained that not much changed during the prolonged scoring drought, excepting GW’s execution shooting the ball.

“We pretty much stuck with the game plan,” she said. “We just missed easy shots – just didn’t knock them down.”

The Colonials’ troubles also included taking care of the ball, turning it over 16 times in the first half and at one point four times in five possessions. The Scarlet Knights pressured GW’s guards as they brought the ball up court, forcing Lavender to cough it up a team-high seven times. Freshman Tiana Myers, who started alongside Lavender at guard, had three turnovers in seven minutes before spending most of the remainder of the contest on the bench.

Bozeman credited his counterpart, Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer, and her staff for their preparation heading into the game. There was little unfamiliarity between the two teams, as the Scarlet Knights beat GW twice last season, including handing them a season-ending loss in the NCAA tournament.

“They scout you to where I think they knew what time I was waking up today, what time I was going to get in the shower,” he said of the Rutgers staff. “You’ve got to give credit to them and of course to the players for executing what they designed to be the game plan.”

And while Bozeman may think the moral victories are getting old, he said his team can hold its collective head high after a loss like this.

“There’s no discredit for my team to come in here and perform like this and to walk out with a loss,” he said.

The road does not get any easier for the Colonials, now winless in three games away from Foggy Bottom. Up next is a Jan. 3 trip to undefeated No. 3 Texas A&M. It will be another big test for this young GW squad, one Bozeman likely hopes to conclude with a different kind of post-game address.