This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Louis Nelson
After a disappointing end to the regular season and the Atlantic 10 conference tournament, the GW women’s basketball team left an arena disappointed once again Thursday, this time falling 97-94 in double overtime to Florida Gulf Coast University in the first round of the postseason Women’s National Invitational Tournament.
GW managed to force the first overtime after trailing by four with 11 seconds to play. Following a pair of Eagle free throws, senior Yolanda Lavender drove the length of the court for a lay up to bring the Colonials to within two with 3.3 seconds to play. GW got the ball back on an end line violation by FGCU, and senior Antelia Parrish made the Eagles pay, tying the game as time expired to force the first extra period.
Lavender again came through for GW at the end of the first overtime. With her team down two with nine seconds to play, Lavender went coast-to-coast for a lay up, tying the game at 84 to send it into a second overtime.
The second overtime proved to be too much for the Colonials. Lavender again tried to keep her team in it, bringing GW twithin one on a three-pointer with three seconds to play. GW fouled on the Eagles’s inbound pass, and FCGU converted the ensuing free throws, finally putting an end to GW’s season.
The Colonials were led by Lavender, who rebounded from her poor performance against Rhode Island in the A-10 tournament by scoring 27 points while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out eight assists. Jessica Adair also played well in her final performance in a GW uniform, contributing 20 points in only 21 minutes. Redshirt sophomore Ivy Abiona scored a career high 14 and freshman Tara Booker had 12 to round out the Colonial players in double figures.
Even with four players in double figures, GW’s foul troubles kept the Eagles in the game. By the final buzzer, the Colonials had lost Booker, Parrish, Tiana Myers, and Jazmine Adair to fouls. Three other Colonials finished with four fouls. FGCU shot just under 60 percent from the line, making 24 of their 41 attempts.
The was the 10th straight year GW played in the postseason, and the 18th time in the past 19 seasons.
