March 18, 2008

(AP) - With a wealth of NCAA tournament experience, George Washington is accustomed to playing in high-pressure games. The Colonials' savvy in clutch situations served them well against Auburn in January.

The sixth-seeded Colonials, playing in their seventh straight NCAA tournament, look to beat the 11th-seeded Tigers for the second time this season when the teams meet in the Greensboro Regional at Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday.

George Washington (25-6), 5-5 in the NCAA tournament over the past six years, lost to North Carolina in the round of 16 last season. A nine-game winning streak, including two wins over ranked teams, in the middle of this season helped the Colonials receive another bid.

One of those games was a 68-66 win over then-No. 18 Auburn on Jan. 3. That game was in doubt before George Washington junior guard Lisa Steele made a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining.

During their nine-game run, the Colonials also beat then-No. 10 Texas A&M 66-65 in overtime on Dec. 20. George Washington got a clutch performance from a veteran guard in that game, too, as senior Sarah-Jo Lawrence hit a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to force overtime.

Lawrence led the Colonials with 18 points versus the Tigers (20-11).

"They are a very good team. They have strong senior guard play and a big post presence inside," Auburn coach Nell Fortner said.

Atlantic 10 player of the year Kimberly Beck and Lawrence, both seniors, pace George Washington's backcourt with 13.3 and 12.9 points per game, respectively. Beck had 16 points and seven assists against the Tigers.

One of the nation's top point guards, Beck is averaging 6.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game. But she was held to eight points on 3-of-9 shooting in a 63-59 loss to Xavier in the semifinals of the A-10 tournament on March 9.

Colonials center Jessica Adair also struggled in that game, finishing with 10 points on 2-of-8 shooting. Adair, who leads George Washington with 15.3 points a contest, has been named a first-team all-conference selection each of the last two seasons.

Adair played well against Auburn, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Lawrence, Beck and Adair have all played in the Colonials' only two meetings against the Tigers.

The teams also played on Dec. 16, 2006, when George Washington won 62-51.

The Tigers' loss to the Colonials this season was the second of three straight defeats. Auburn has gone 8-10 after winning 12 of its first 13 games.

The Tigers' latest defeat was in the SEC tournament semifinals on March 7, a 49-44 loss to Vanderbilt.

Auburn lost despite a 23-point, 13-rebound performance from DeWanna Bonner. The junior forward, averaging 21.8 points in her last 10 games, had 14 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks against George Washington on Jan. 3.

"I am just really excited," Bonner said. "We have been working so hard this season and we have overcome a lot of obstacles. I am glad that our team is going to get to experience the NCAA tournament."

This is the Tigers' first NCAA tournament appearance since 2004, when it lost to eventual champion Connecticut in the second round. They are 28-16 in the tournament.

George Washington, meanwhile, posted a 16-14 record in 14 previous appearances.

The winner will face third-seeded California or No. 14 seed San Diego in the second round Monday.