Patriots Bring the Bulldogs to the Pound, Win 88-59

If you were looking for a textbook definition of domination, this would be a game to use as an example. The Patriots(4-1) shot an amazing 56.5% from the field, while holding the over match UNC-Asheville Bulldogs(2-3) to 29.4%.  The surprise not only was the margin of victory, but also was the play of junior guard Christine Weithman.

We've talked before about Weithman and how she has the ability to spread defenses out with her 3-point shooting, that is when she gets significant playing time on a very deep Mason bench. Tonight was her time to shine, and she showed us why she could be this year's female equivalent of Ventrail Vaughts on last years Mason Men's basketball team because of the way she came of the bench like a spark plug to shoot 5-7 from the 3-point line and finish with a career high 22 points. This all coming in 26 minutes of court time.

Guard Weithman records career high 22pts vs UNC-Ash

Christine Weithman was the key to winning this game with her 15 points in the first half, which allow Mason to take 42-23 lead at halftime and build upon it come the second half. Even with a low shooting and scoring night from the dynamic starter Amber Easter (3-5, 6 pts), Mason finally got the bench production they were looking for with 5 out of 6 subs recording at least 1 field goal and combining for 35 points.

All of the Colonial Athletic Conference better take note that Taleia Moton continues to go on a scoring tear, scoring 30 points on 14 of 17 shooting and not even connecting on a single 3 pointer.  Moton on the season is now averaging just above 21 ppg with a 50% field goal percentage, and seems focused on not letting any opponent get in her way this season. Forward Forward Jannaa Pickard didn't dominate offensively down low today, but  had a major effect on the Bulldogs attempts with her 4 blocks during the contest.

The Patriot's next opponent is UMass who is currently on a 4 game skid, and has not won since their season opener at home on November 13th. The Patriots will look to improve to a 5-1 record, and improve upon their current 4 game losing streak. It will be important to watch if Mason can continue to get production of the bench, and especially from a proven 3 point shooter like Christine Weithman. If Weithman is able to come off the bench and give quality minuets to force defenses to spread more outside, this should help players like Evelyn Lewis and Jannaa Pickard to become more dominate as the season progresses.

Oh and CAA Player of the Year alert for Taleia Moton? Keep this up and the Patriots could make a strong showing come CAA play.

Thursday night, 7pm vs UMass. Be there!

Patriots Stay Perfect on the Road: Win 54-50 at Stony Brook

It looked pretty grim, and a story line that many fans of Mason Women's basketball have become accustomed to over the past few years. With just 9 minuets left in the game, on the road, the Patriots found themselves facing  15 point deficit. But this year is starting to look like something different for these patriots.

It was the DC native, Rahneeka Saunders, known more for her hustle and defense then for her jumper, who hit the shot that would put the Patriots up for good and ultimately give them the win on the road. Saunders would finish the game with 12 points, 3 over her average, and 4 rebounds(3 offensive). The ability for Saunders to step up shows that this Patriot team could do big things year, especially when one of their stars stumbles a little. Amber Easter, coming off a 16 point game against Longwood, would finish 2 of 8 for only 6 points in 32 minutes of court time.

But this is where the Patriots showed their strength. Behind the steady production of Taleia Moton who finished with 18 points and 4 assists, the forwards down low were able to impose their will. Evelyn Lewis was 4 for 6 from the field with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block while right beside her the redshirt sophomore Janaa Pickard scored 9 points, hauled in 9 rebounds with 1 block.

It's important to note that Coach Porter used her subs sparingly tonight(33 mins for 5 players), with only Rachel McNair recording a single point to total out the bench scoring for the night. It was most likely due to the Patriots low scoring first half(36%), and because of the 29-19 deficit they saw at halftime.

It will be important in the future for the Patriots to be more aggressive in the first half and not get behind like they did tonight, allowing Stony Brook to shoot 5-10 from 3-point range for the first 20 minutes. The bench will have to be a factor if the Patriots plan on winning more games then they did last year in the CAA. And if the Patriots continue to shoot 50% from the line like they did tonight it will eventually come back and hurt them.

Remember that the Patriots return home on Sunday at 2pm against UNC-Asheville Bulldogs!

A Longwood Lancing

In a sit down interview with Freshman standout Talisha Watts, we learned the freshman sees big things in this Patriot defense. Mason is coming off a game against Oakland University where we saw nine blocks in the game, two by the Freshman Watts. Listen in as she talks to us about her play, the tenacious defense and the chance for a Longwood win.

Watts Interview

Coming Together: Interview With Coach Porter After Win Over Oakland

Following George Mason’s most recent win against Oakland University on Sunday afternoon Mason coach Jeri Porter sat down with WGMU broadcast team Tyler Mauro and George Malenich. Mason, who owned the game on the defensive end, used great post play to keep the Oakland scorers off balance. Coach Porter talks about the importance of bench play, the freshman impact and how good defense is the catalyst for good offense.
Take a listen:  Click Here for the Coach Porter Interview

Mason Women Cruise to First Win

Matchup: GMU vs Oakland

Final: 59-48 W

Top GMU performer: Amber Easter, 11 points (4-17), 8 rebounds, 2 assists

     
        The Oakland Golden Grizzlies, led by their star Bethany Watterworth, came into Sunday's game heavily favored over the Patriots. It seemed, after Sunday's 59-48 victory, that no one had told George Mason that. The Patriots, led by Amber Easter and Taleia Moton who combined for 22 of Mason's 59 points, seemed to dominate Oakland from the start. George Mason dominated the boards, collecting 50 total rebounds, 20 of which were offensive boards. Everyone contributed to the battle on the boards, with Easter leading the way with 8 total rebounds.

         The Golden Grizzlies offense runs through Watterworth, who was held to only 17 points. Mason was able to frustrate her, sending defender after defender at her with their fast-paced defensive style. Mason kept a great tempo throughout the entire game, with Coach Porter urging them to push the ball during every possession. With such an up-tempo offensive plan one would expect Mason to turn the ball over frequently, but the Patriots had a positive assist to turnover ratio for the second straight game, with 17 assists to 14 turnovers. Meanwhile Oakland struggled with their turnovers, having 9 assists to 16 turnovers.

        The defense was very strong in Sunday's game, with 10 total blocks. The swatting Patriots were led by Janaa Pickard who had 4 blocks in the game, stifling Oakland's post play. Mason also dominated in almost every category. Points in the paint (32-26), Points off turnovers (11-7), second chance points (13-6), and one of the most important categories: Bench points (20-9). Coach Porter was definitely proud of Mason's team effort, with every single player that played minutes in the game contributing with at least one basket. It was afternoons like Sunday when Mason proved that when their offense is on, they can play with anybody.

       What to watch for: The freshmen for George Mason are beginning to contribute. Rachel McNair added 6 points and 2 assists in her 22 minutes, along with Talisha Watts who grabbed 7 boards and 2 blocks on defense. Look for these two to continue making an impact moving forward with this season. Amber Easter, who seemed to have an off-afternoon, still managed to score 11 points with 8 rebounds, but had 7 turnovers. Look for Easter to cut down on the turnovers and continue to put up good offensive numbers. The guard play and ball-handling of Taleia Moton and Rahneeka Saunders is very impressive. Both are very speedy guards who are able to hit the open player with good passes. Moton and Saunders stack up well against any guard combo out there.

What We Learned: Regular Season Opener Versus American

Match-up: GMU vs American

Final: 51-55 L

Top GMU Performer: Amber Easter 20 pts(8-17), 12 Rebounds, 2 assists

This weekend the Mason Patriots Women's basketball team opened up it's regular season with two games in two days at home in the friendly confines of the Patriot Center. The first game, coincidently on 11-11-11, fell against the eagles of American University. It's important to note that American was a team who won 20 games last season, and this year returned 4 starters from that successful squad. On the other hand, the Patriots lost 4 starters from a squad that won 13 games last season. It would be a challenge for Coach Jeri Porter to replace that 20 ppg lost from graduation going into this season.

What We Learned: From the get go Mason put itself in a hole with a lack of perimeter defense, and American went up 6-0 in the first 2 minutes. They would never for the rest of the game take a lead in the contest. They would only tie the ball game with just 49 seconds left in the contest, but would never again take the lead after 12:49. Mason's first half shooting was simple atrocious, and they seemed out of sync individuals trying to create for themselves instead of going into their offensive scheme.

Mason was 8-34 on field goals in the first half, for a lowly 23.5%. This improved in the second half by going 13-36, but not by much at 36%. The most amazing stat of the night would be the free throw situation for the Patriots, 2-7 for 28.6%. It's not just about the few they missed, which would’ve in hind sight given them the W, but it was the team’s inability to force fouls by driving the ball. Compare Mason's 7 total free throws to American's 29, and in a close game the most likely or not the team at the foul stripe the most is going to win.

Mason was unable to use its visible size advantage by players like Evelyn Lewis, who was unable all night to finish around the hoop going 1-9 on field goal attempts. The lack of low point presence, against a team in American who was playing a 4 guard set, is what lead to the teams downfall. American was more organized on the offensive front, taking time to go in their sets and take good shots. American also was able to get points off a a deep bench, who contributed 12 compared to Mason's 2. Overall with Mason not getting the calls down low, the game was put on the two stars of the team in Amber Easter and Taleia Moton. And when the stars got off to a very slow start with the two going a combined 16-38, and the rest of the starters going 4-26 from the field for the game, Mason seemed doomed for a loss.