California-George Washington Preview

3/24/2008 3:08 PM

By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

Coming off its first NCAA tournament victory in 15 years, California has a chance to go where no other team in school history has ever been.

The third-seeded Golden Bears look to advance to the round of 16 for the first time when they face No. 6 seed George Washington in the second round of the Greensboro Regional on Monday night at nearby Stanford, Calif.

In front of a partisan crowd, California (27-6) won 77-60 over No. 14 seed San Diego for just the second NCAA tournament victory in school history. The Bears, who beat Kansas 62-47 in the first round of the 1993 tournament, lost in the opening round each of the past two seasons.

Cal, which set a school record for wins this season, bounced back Saturday after losing three of its final six contests - including a 56-35 defeat to rival Stanford in the Pac-10 tournament title game - heading into the NCAA tournament.

"It was another of our goals that we set out to get to this year,'' said forward Ashley Walker, who recorded her 34th career double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds Saturday. "We just wanted to show who we really are and what we can do in the tournament.''

Devanei Hampton scored 22 points as the Bears opened the game on a 14-2 run and built a 20-point first-half lead against San Diego.

"We came out of the gates running and doing what we normally do and getting back to our old selves,'' said Walker, who is averaging 20.6 points in three career NCAA tournament games. "We were ready to play."

Now Cal must get ready for its first-ever meeting with George Washington (26-6), which got by No. 11 seed Auburn 66-56 in a first-round contest Saturday.

"It's a great match-up," Cal coach Joanne Boyle said of facing the Colonials. "I think San Diego helped prepare us for a very physical game. (George Washington is) all over you. You have to be able to control tempo and get big with the ball and be strong with it."

The Bears are expected to be without reserve center Rama N'diaye on Sunday after the 6-foot-5 sophomore injured her right knee against San Diego. N'diaye averaged 6.8 points and 5.7 rebounds in 32 games during the season.

Though Atlantic-10 player of the year Kimberly Beck was held to just three points - well below her 13.3 average heading into the tournament - the Colonials overcame that and 42.1 percent shooting to put themselves in position to reach the regional semifinals for a second season in a row.

"We were really jumpy in the first half - maybe a little nervous,'' said George Washington coach Joe McKeown, whose team trailed by two at halftime. "But we pulled ourselves together in the second half.

Jessica Adair had 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Colonials. Beck, meanwhile, recorded seven assists, but shot only 1-for-7 and missed all but one of her five 3-point tries.

The winner of this contest will play either No. 2 seed Rutgers or No. 7 Iowa State in a regional semifinal contest next Sunday in Greensboro, N.C.