9:29 p.m. Troy fouls Rivera, who hits both shots and gives GW a 63-61 lead. Troy misses their shot at the other end, where Rivera grabs the rebound and is fouled as she falls to the ground. She missed both on the final trip to the line, but Troy’s final heave fell well short and the Colonials’ two-point lead holds. Check www.gwhatchet.com for a full update later tonight.
9:25 p.m. Backcourt violation on Troy gives GW the ball with 14.4 seconds left and the game still tied. Timeout Troy.
9:24 p.m. Jazmine Adair hits two foul shots to tie the game at 61 with 36 ticks to go.
9:19 p.m. Things are getting tense as Troy just missed what would have been a go-ahead three-pointer with 2:45 remaining. The ball rolled around and rimmed out before a Trojan was called for a foul going for the rebound. Troy’s bench was up and screaming as the shot went in and out. Rivera will be heading to the line for the Colonials.
9:16 p.m. Adair gave GW a bit of a cushion with a turnaround jumper and they now lead 57-53 with 3:43 to go. A Troy layup rimmed in and out on the last possession and Bozeman called a timeout as GW was bringing the ball up the floor. He immediately began yelling some instructions at Myers.
9:14 p.m. One-possession game as GW leads 55-53 with five minutes left. Bozeman was upset after a non-call when Jessica Adair failed to pull down an offensive rebound and then was called for a foul on the other end.
9:07 p.m. And they miss.
9:05 p.m. Troy will have a chance to tie the game when they head to the line after the current break in action; GW leads 51-50 with 7:49 to play. A number of fans were vocally displeased with the foul call, as a Troy player appeared to have taken an extra step before making the basket she was fouled on. GW supporters were also none too pleased with an offensive foul called on Jessica Adair a few minutes ago.
8:58 p.m. Troy hits one of two free-throws to make it a 48-43 GW lead with 11:33 to play. The Colonials were whistled for fouls consecutive possesions – Abiona had an offensive infraction away from the ball – but they still have just four in the half.
8:49 p.m. GW’s lead has been cut to just four as they call timeout with a 46-42 advantage and 13:40 left. The Trojans, who were just one of seven from beyond the arc in the first half, have hit a couple of threes this period and GW has been turning it over again. Last count has them at 19 turnovers compared to Troy’s nine.
8:46 p.m. The teams exchange traveling calls before an official timeout with the Colonials up 42-36 at 15:53. GW’s was committed by Jessica Adair, who was trying to lower her shoulder and get leverage on a defender, but then just started walking without dribbling. Bozeman stared at her with his mouth agape as she made her way back on defense.
8:28 p.m. The Colonials lead 35-29 at the half, with Booker leading all scorers with 12 and Abiona adding a half-dozen rebounds, three blocks, and a pair of steals. The Colonials’ inability to take care of the ball has kept the Trojans in the game, as they have out-shot their guests 52 percent to 32 percent but have turned the ball over 16 times already.
Bozeman spent the last few minutes of the first half standing relatively still at the far end of the bench, rather than near the scorer’s table. He seemed to be stewing or frustrated, but the reason for his body language is simply speculation. At any rate, he can’t be happy with how GW played down the stretch in the first half. If they start taking better care of the ball and play with the same spark they showed early, they should expand their lead and cruise to an easy victory. This seems like the type of game where GW just has to avoid beating themselves. We’ll see how they fare.
8:15 p.m. GW leads 32-25 with 2:27 remaining, but things have gotten a bit stagnant for them. Their offense seems flat and they’ve allowed the Trojans to tread water after opening an early lead. Munro had been playing the point very well to start, but her apparent lack of execution prompted Bozeman’s last timeout and on the next possession, she opted to try an over-the-shoulder pass to Myers on a fast break rather than dish it to an uncovered Booker in the corner. She’s still on the court as the teams come out of the timeout with Erica Rivera replacing Myers.
8:12 p.m. Bozeman just called a timeout from the bench as GW was setting up its half-court offense and immediately got on Munro, who had the ball at the time. He seems pretty relaxed now. GW leads 30-22 with four minutes and change before the break.
8:04 p.m. Official timeout at the 7:46 mark. Not much has changed – it’s 28-19 GW now – but it’s worth noting that the Colonials’ basket came on a trey from Booker, who already has a dozen points. GW is in the bonus now.
8:00 p.m. The Trojans make a bit of a run to cut it to 25-17 with 9:11 to go, prompting Bozeman to use a timeout. On the Colonials’ last possession, Miller inbounded it to a wide-open Booker in the corner for an easy three. Booker entered tonight the nation’s leading three-point shooter and she’s been showing why.
7:53 p.m. Colonials still cruising at 22-10 with 11:24 left before the break. Booker has scored six, including all three free-throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt, and Abiona and Myers each have five. Munro is the only Colonial to play that has yet to score, but she has three assists and has not attempted a shot. Freshmen Kay-Kay Allums and Kayla Miller will be seeing their first action when play resumes.
7:44 p.m. GW leads 14-6 about five minutes into the game. About a minute ago, Abiona got an offensive rebound on her own missed free-throw and scored on a layup. The Colonials do not appearing to be having too much trouble with the Trojans, even without Parrish and Steele and with Jessica Adair only touching the ball once so far. Troy has been missing some ugly shots thus far and GW already has a pair of blocks.
7:36 p.m. Actual starters: Tiana Myers, Tara Booker, Ivy Abiona, Stefani Munro, and Jazmine Adair. The projection was one-for-five.
7:17 p.m. Parrish is standing under the basket with Steele now, talking to her while the pair cheers on their teammates. While no more is really known about her situation just yet, she appears to be in good spirits and still very much a part of the team, so to speak.
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Good evening and welcome to the live blog for tonight’s women’s game against Troy, who made the trek all the way from ancient Europe Alabama for tonight’s contest. Although we are still more than a half hour from the opening tip, attendance seems to be pretty sparse. There are currently two people in the student section. The hottest ticket on campus tonight is probably Gelman Library, so the final attendance will likely not be very high.
I just received word from Assistant SID Jesse Hooker that senior Antelia Parrish, the Colonials’ leading scorer and rebounder, will not play in tonight’s game after violating a team rule. No word yet on what the rule was. Parrish is currently seated in a front row seat in her warmups. We will have more on her situation as more becomes available.
Joining Parrish in her inactivity will be senior Lisa Steele, who is in street clothes and standing under the basket as her teammates stretch. Steele is once again being bothered by a past ankle injury and Hooker said they are saving her for Friday’s game against Auburn. This past January, Steele hit a three in the final seconds to down the Tigers.
The projected starting lineup lists both Parrish and Steele, but that will obviously change. The other three likely starters are sophomore Erica Rivera at guard, sophomore Ivy Abiona at forward, and senior Jessica Adair in the middle.
