Tuesday, March 25, 12:22 a.m.
STANFORD, Calif., March 24 – Amid some court controversy, a shocked crowd and general disbelief was senior Sarah-Jo Lawrence of the sixth-seeded GW women’s basketball team in the arms of her teammates, with a smile as wide as the state of California is long.
After all, the guard had just hit a buzzer-beating shot to send the Colonials to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. And there was perhaps no one better to make that shot than Lawrence, the grittiest player on a gritty day of basketball. She had pushed through a gaggle of third-seeded University of California players to tie the game 12 seconds earlier.
For Lawrence, getting to the second weekend this time around is even better than a year ago, perhaps because she is a senior but also because the game came down to the wire.
“It’s so much sweeter this way,” Lawrence said in the team’s locker room after the game. “I’m so excited. I haven’t taken it all in yet. It was an amazing game, an amazing last run, I’m so glad we’re going to the Sweet 16 again.”
Senior Whitney Allen, who picked up her fourth foul with 12:39 to go but played the final eight minutes, was equally enthused, also saying she is more excited than last year.
“Oh my goodness. I can’t even speak how excited I am, I just want to scream,” Allen said. “Sarah-Jo hit two amazing layups and that’s what she does. She’s a phenomenal player and I’m just happy I got to play four years with her and (classmate) Kim (Beck).”
Beck was the least visibly excited of the trio and said the Sweet 16 is the Sweet 16, regardless of when it happens or how a team gets there. But even the point guard, who is usually focused on the nuts and bolts of the game and rarely on the emotion, had to bask in the glory of the win.
“I’m on top of the world,” she said before quickly concentrating on the match-up. “That game was straight battle. Forty minutes. No one ever gave up. To come out on top of that, it just feels good.”
Last season, the Colonials, who were a No. 5 seed, defeated No. 4 Texas A&M by 12 in the second round. Though the joy was there, it is a far cry from the jubilation that occured this time around. While players were huddled at center court, jumping up and down, assistant coaches formed a group hug, slightly bouncing. Assistant coach Mike Bozeman looked to have tears in his eyes when he hugged junior Antelia Parrish.
Head coach Joe McKeown has experienced this four times now, but it is unlikely that any of the other three created as much emotion as this one.
In order to reach where they are now, the Colonials had to overcome a seven-point deficit against Auburn University in the first round and then an upset of Cal. For GW, it seems the wins just get sweeter and sweeter.
