Vols use late 15-5 run to put away Colonials
Both teams at Smith Center on Tuesday were young and inexperienced. However, one — Tennessee — was defending national champion, and so it was the other, George Washington, that learned the toughest lessons about how comebacks can fall short in a 71-59 loss to the seventh-ranked Lady Volunteers (6-1) in front of 3,459.
“I think everyone tried to play the player, not the name on the jersey,” said Colonials freshman Tara Booker (team-high 14 points). “But they are a great team. There are certain things you can and can’t do. We had opportunities to win. We just need to cut down on our mistakes.”
Trailing by 13 early in the second half, the Colonials (4-3) closed to within two, 56-54, with five minutes remaining. But with a chance to tie, Jazmine Adair (12 points) missed a layup in transition off a feed from Antelia Parrish, and Booker fouled Tennessee’s Vicki Baugh (eight points, 10 rebounds) on the ensuing battle for the rebound, after which the Volunteers closed with a 15-5 run.
“[GW is] going to win a lot of games,” said Volunteers head coach Pat Summit, “if everyone plays the way they played Tennessee.”
Freshman Glory Johnson led the visitors with 16 points and 10 rebounds, with Alex Fuller adding 13 and Shekinna Strickland scoring 12.
Baugh’s putback on the fourth shot attempt of the game’s opening possession set the tone for the Lady Volunteers, who were utterly dominant with a 25-11 advantage on the offensive boards.
Two 3-pointers from Sydney Smallbone put the visitors up by ten, 25-15, before an Adair layup and a three from Booker sliced the margin in half. The Volunteers responded with a 15-2 run punctuated by Angie Bjorklund’s baseline jumper for their biggest lead of the half, 33-20.
After going 0-for-4 at the line in the first half, the Colonials chipped away by hitting 9 of 10 free throw attempts in the second half.
