Mid-Week Wrap-up: Mason Continues its Roller Coaster of a Season

GMU won their first 7 games, then lost 8 of 9, and now have won 3 of 4

Coming into last Sunday's game against Old Dominion University, Mason's roller coaster ride of a season seemed to be on the incline once again, riding a 3 game winning streak. A dominating 24 point win over the Towson Tigers(12-8) in Fairfax lead up to the critical conference match-up with the ODU Monarchs. Mason unfortunately could not finish on the road once again, and their streak of dismal performances on the road would continue.

Down in Norfolk, it was a slug fest between the Patriots and the Monarchs to see if Mason (10-10) would take the season sweep of ODU (7-14). The game was back and forth all night, with the largest lead for both sides only being as high as 8 points.  Mason held a 8 point lead with 7 minutes to go in the regulation, but saw it evaporate and would end up losing by 3 points 68-71.

This defeat is a little riddling seeing as Mason lead in many major statistical category including FG% 46.6 to 36.6, Points in Paint 36 to 20,  Bench points 7 to 3,  and Points off of Turnovers 21 to 11. But when you delve closer in the statistics, you can point out a few major things that lead to this defeat and has plagued the Patriots on the road all season long.

ODU's Tia Lewis dominated down low with 13 rebounds vs GMU

The first glaring negative statistic is the rebounding margin, 32-48 in favor of ODU, in which 17 of the 48 were offensive rebounds for the Monarchs compared to Mason's 5 total. To put Mason's rebounding woes in perspective, ODUs impact forward  Tia Lewis has 13 boards to go along with bench player Shakeva Richards collecting 5 board(3 offensive) in just 16 minutes of play. Combined starting forwards Janaa Pickard and Evelyn Lewis only had 13 rebounds for Mason, together they only equal that of Tia Lewis's total.

The Patriots were out hustled on second chance opportunities by a scoring margin of 1 to 17, a figure that is truly unacceptable and is in direct correlation with ODU's domination of the boards. If you make a stop as a team, you cant continue to give the other team additional opportunities to score. It not only demoralizes you, but it demoralized the defensive effort of your teammates as a whole.

And the third nail in the coffin for the Patriot, as in most of their close losses this season,  was abysmal free-throw shooting. Mason shot 52.9% overall from the line and 6 of 11 (54.5%) in the second half, as compared to ODU who shot 72% for the game and 13 of 14 (92.9%) in the second half. In close games, especially in the dwindling minutes as this one came down to, the win  usually will go to the team to who can convert their free-throws  attempts and ODU sunk them. Even star Taleia Moton was having a off night and went 2 of 5 from the line. Moton came into the game ranked third on the team hitting around 80% from the charity stripe. Mason currently ranks 166th in Division I basketball in FT shooting percentage, hitting just 68.7% on the season.

GMU is ranked 166th in the NCAA in FT%, hitting 68.7%

Not only is the lack of successful free throw attempts disappointing, but it is also the low total amount of attempts that Mason's receives. In the amount of free-throws attempted in the game, Mason shot  9 less, 17 to 26,  and on the season the Patriots are  trailing even worse. The total free-throw attempted on the season for Mason compared to all opponents, 319 to 378, brings a -59  margin. This shows a lack of aggressiveness in taking the ball to the hoop down low, and forcing the other team or referee to give you a call. It is important in the remaining games for Mason that they really try to improve this number and increase the opportunities at "free and easy points" at the free throw line.

Next up for the Patriots is a tough Drexel (10-9) sqaud who has performed exceedingly well in-conference this season, currently tied for 3rd place with a 6-3 CAA record. Mason will have to step its game up on the road, where on the season they have dropped their last 7 of 9  outside of the Patriot Center.

Mason is currently tied for 5th place in the league standings with ODU, but could possible move up to a 4th place tie with VCU with a big win on Thursday against Drexel.

Patriots Hold Off Rowdy Rams, Capture Victory 71-58

           The George Mason Patriots looked to overturn their bad fortunes on Sunday, as they took on the 11-6 (4-2) VCU Rams. Mason had run into a string of bad luck, losing 6 of their last 7 games. They would be facing one of their toughest tests however, guarding the powerful senior forward Courtney Hurt. Hurt came into Sunday's game averaging 23.2 points per game, 6th in all of women's college basketball.

            Mason got out ahead with an impressive 7-4 run, which included a 3-pointer from Janaa Pickard. The Rams responded with a 12-7 run of their own, sparked by a three ball from Hurt. Both teams were able to distribute the ball well in the early going, with the Rams having 8 different players score in the first half. Mason was led by the three-pronged attack of Taleia Moton, Amber Easter, and Janaa Pickard. Moton was able to slash and dash her way to the hoop, even drawing a hack and converting an and-one opportunity.

            The conclusion of the first half found Mason leading the Rams 35-26. The Patriots shot an impressive 50% from the field and from downtown. Moton led the way for George Mason with 12 points and 2 rebounds. Pickard added 10 and Easter had 7 of her own. For the Rams it was a clearly balanced scoring effort, with Hurt and Barbour combining for 13 first half points. VCU struggled with their ball handling, as they compiled 8 turnovers and only 7 assists. Mason on the other hand only had 5 turnovers and 11 assists, scoring 13 of their 35 points off of VCU's turnovers.

            Mason came out of the break hot, with 6 straights buckets to push the lead up to 41-26. VCU instantly answered with a outside shooting clinic run by Andrea Barbour, as she hit back-to-back bombs to cut the lead to 9. In fact, the only shots the Rams made in the first 7 minutes of the 2nd half were from beyond the arc, connecting on 5 long balls. George Mason wouldn't let the Rams hot shooting cut in on the lead too much, as Moton had 9 of the Patriots first 18 2nd half points to put them up 53-43 with 12 minutes left in the game.

            Every time it seemed the Rams were ready to stage a comeback the Patriots answered, whether it was a breakway layup for Moton or a turnaround layup from Evelyn Lewis. George Mason did not play like 8-9 (2-4) basketball team. They played with fire and heart, fighting for every rebound and playing stifling defense. Taleia Moton, as she has done all season long, completely took over in the 2nd half. The guard, now 11th in the NCAA in scoring, was there whenever Mason needed her, whether to hit a clutch jumper or break the full court press from the Rams.

            Mason came away with the victory, 71-58, in front of the large hometown crowd at the Patriot Center. Moton proved to be too much for the Rams to handle, as she finished with 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. Courtney Hurt tried to keep VCU in the game with her 17 points and 5 board, but mostly struggled from the field. Mason is now 9-9 for the season and 3-4 in the Conference.

Keith's Keys to the Game: GMU vs. VCU

With Mason's victory over William & Mary last Thursday, the Patriots have finally broken their 6 game losing streak and look to continue the winning ways against bitter rival VCU. Mason (8-9) finds themselves at the bottom half of the conference standings, currently tied 8th with Towson and 4 games out of  first place in the CAA. VCU (11-6) on the other hand has won 3 of their last 4 conference games, and find themselves tied for 3rd place, and just two games back of CAA leader and nationally ranked #16 Delaware.

This matchup will most likely be a shootout, as VCU comes in averaging just over 67 points per contest, and two players who average more then 17 points per game. Mason comes in with the high scoring, high energy Taleia Moton who recently dropped 28 points on W&M, and who ranks 12th nationally with 20.5 ppg. In the 6 losses the VCU Rams have suffered this season, only in 1 game did they reach their average in scoring. The key for Mason will be to keep the Rams below 60-67 points on the day, thus hopefully ensuring that the Patriot defense is creating turnover opportunities  in-order for the offense to easily score.


Players to Watch:

Hurt- 23.4 ppg/12.7 rpg

Courtney Hurt: The senior star from VCU puts the "POWER" into the term "power-forward". Courtney Hurt is by far one of the best players in the CAA, as well as the NCAA, and someone that the Mason coaching staff will have to game plan against. Currently she is ranked 5th in the nation in scoring with 23.4 ppg, while also ranking 1st in the nation in rebounding with 12.7 boards per contest. Courtney will absolutely put the "Hurt" on the Mason defense if Evelyn Lewis does not take care to defend smarly and not get into foul trouble, as well as boxing out to fight for rebounds and position. Courtney has lead VCU in rebounding in 15 of 17 games so far this season. VCU will look to score inside with success, and then move outside when their guards start to get open because of double teams down low. It will be important for the Patriots to do their best to limit Courtney in the amount of easy scoring opportunities she gets, as well as executing efficient help defense and shifting.

Barbour- 17.5 ppg/6.3 rpg

Andrea Barbour: The redshirt senior from VCU is a very dynamic guard who uses her height(5'10) to over-power smaller guards and defenders. On the season Barbour is averaging just over 17 points and 6.3 rebound per game, making her 2nd on the team in scoring and rebounding. Mason will be at somewhat of a disadvantage, with primary guards Taleia Moton and Rahneeka Saunders both being 5'6 and 4 inches shorter then Barbour. The Mason defense may have to rely on skilled forward/guard Amber Easter to use her lanky 6'0 frame to disrupt the potent scoring ability of Barbour by creating a size mismatch. Amber Easter is a player who is most closely equal to the athletic ability and size of Barbour. In 3 of the last 4 games for VCU, Barbour has scored 18, 23, and 24 points against CAA competition.

5 rebounds(4 off) against W&M

Rachel McNair: For Mason, the impact player could be the person you least expect it to be. Freshman forward Rachel McNair had a solid contribution in the Patriots victory over W&M, corralling 5 rebounds in just 10 minutes on the court. With her 6'0-6'1 frame and now proven ability to fight for rebounds, McNair could be a major player in attempting to negate the impact that Courtney Hurt will have on the game down low in the paint. McNair not only represents a possible solution to shutting down VCU's star player, but Rachel represents the potential production from the bench that Mason has been looking for all season. If McNair can come off the bench and contribute solid time for hopefully +10 minutes, this will enable the starters to take a breather and regroup without worrying about a let down on the court.


Tip-off is slated for Sunday at 2 pm in the Patriot Center. VCU leads the all-time series 27-26, and the Rams most recently defeated the Patriots last season 64-46 in Richmond. Click Here to listen to the game live!

Lucky Number Seven! Patriots Polish off William & Mary 82-70, End Six Game Losing Streak

Taleia Moton dropped 28 points on 53% shooting

The six game losing streak is finally over, and it comes in a critical conference game against in-state rival William and Mary. Both teams came in battling to get their second win in-conference, and continue to try to improve their standing before the upcoming CAA tournament seeding in March. Mason had a complete performance on the offensive end with 5 players scoring in double digits, including 4 starters, and outscoring the W&M Tribe by a 18 point margin in the second half to complete the come from behind victory.

 In terms of hustling hard and leaving it all on the court, this was no doubt Mason's best game of the season. After falling behind early by a 22-8 margin just 8 minutes into the game, Mason was able to keep their composure and patiently chip away at the lead and take it back close to midway through the second half. 

Taleia Moton had a huge scoring output, as she is known to do especially at home, dropping 28 points on 53% shooting from the field. Moton is the barometer for how well this team performs, and it was no more evident tonight when the Patriots trailed at halftime by 6 with Taleia only contributing 5 points. But she got hot at the right time, dropping 23 points in the last 20 minutes, to help the Patriots evaporate the deficit and build their own lead to the final margin of 12 points during the dwindling minutes of the game.

What helped Mason achieve this victory, other then Moton's efficient and high scoring night, was the ability of Amber Easter to score as well as the performance of the bench players. Amber Easter has been hot and cold since her early season injury, and in the last three games only had a total of 20 combined points. Tonight was different though, Easter was able to hit 7 of 10 from the field for 18 points to go along with 7 rebounds(4 offensive) and 2 steals. This was Easter's second highest scoring output of the season, her season high coming in the season opener against American with 20 points over two months ago. Last night's game was by far one of Easter's most complete performances of the season, and helped secure the victory for the home team and hopefully something we will see more of from a very multi-dimensional player.

The bench only had 12 points, but in a game where only 4 substitutes played 31 minutes, it was a solid night. The hot and cold spark plug Christine Weithman was the main contributor off the bench with 10 points in 16 minutes on the court, and hit 2 of 3 from behind the three point arc. All year she has shown flashes of greatness, especially from behind the arc, and her continuing contribution will be something the Patriots will rely on to start a new winning streak. Also freshman forward Rachel McNair contributed 5 rebounds(3 offensive) and 2 points in only 10 minutes on the court. Rebounding is huge for the Patriots, especially off the bench. For McNair to snare 3 offensive boards in limited court time is what lead to second chance points, and allowed Mason to rest starters while still getting solid production.

On the defensive side of the ball Mason played pretty solidly except for the early 16-0 run in the early minutes of the first half, in which W&M shot 51.6% from the field. The Patriot defense was able to contain W&M's star player Janine Aldridge to below her conference scoring average of  19.2 points per game, holding her to 18 points and limiting easy scoring opportunities. In the second half the Patriots shut down all of W&M's scorers, and held them to shooting a dismal 27.8% as a team. Mason lost the turnover battle but was able to make general defensive scheme adjustments in the second half that shut down both the outside and inside shooting, which held W&M to just 10 of 36 shooting in the last 20 minutes of play.

The Patriots are now tied with Towson for 8th in the CAA with a 2-4 conference record, and improve to  8-9 on the season overall. Mason will next host rival VCU (11-6) in the Patriot Center at 2 pm on Sunday, the 2nd game of a  3 night home-stand. 

Plummeting Patriots: Mason loses 6th Straight Game 61-53 to UNCW

In a game that featured two teams fighting for recognition, separated by just one game, it had all the makings of a well-matched playing field. But another second half falter by George Mason cut off the Patriot’s chances as they fell to UNCW 61-53 at Trask Coliseum. The Patriots (7-9,1-4) continue to slide into the conference cellar as they have now lost six straight games. The Seahawks (9-7, 2-3) however got a much needed win, to help better position themselves as we get closer to the conference championships.

The first half was a proponent of the matchup, even. Both teams would shoot an identical 35.7 percent from the floor by the end of the first half. George Mason came out of the gate fast, as they took an early 10-2 lead on an Amber Easter 3-pointer to force the first timeout of the game. A team huddle was all the Seahawks would need as they went on a spurt of their own reeling off nine straight to cut the lead to one. The Patriot’s would respond once more boosting their lead to five points on a pair of free throws.

Over four minutes elapsed without a bucket by George Mason, a gap that would allow UNCW to climb right back into the game. An Alisha Andrews layup with eight minutes on the clock gave the Seahawks their first lead of the game. Andrews would finish the game with 15 points, just one of four UNCW players in double figures.

Cierra Strickland would get things started up again for Mason, when she delivered an old fashion 3-point play to take the lead by four points with little time left on the clock. But much like they did all game UNCW provided the answer streaking for five straight to end the half leading 26-25.

The second half was marked by two tie scores and two lead changes, as play seemed to go back and forth early on. But Mason still couldn’t seem to shake their second half rust, as they let the game get out of their control. Taleia Moton turned the ball over, leading to a UNCW layup to put them on top for good. Moton, who has been Mason's saving grace for much of the season, would finish the game with five turnovers and nine points on just 29 percent shooting from the floor.

With just under three minutes to play in the second half, UNCW took their largest lead of the game by ten points on a Trice Abria 3-pointer. Abria would finish the game with 16 points, as she combined with Jessica Freeman to score over half of their 61 points. Mason who had held the Seahawks to 1-6 shooting from the arc in the first half, allowed UNCW to knockdown four 3-pointers while shooting 67 percent in the second half.

Over the next two minutes Mason’s sloppy play along with good free throw shooting by UNCW would put the lid on the contest. The Patriot’s would turn the ball over 5 times in the last two minutes. The Seahawks would close the door going 5-9 from the line.

This is the Patriots second longest losing streak under head coach Jeri Porter, George Mason lost 10 straight games back in the 09-10 season. Over this six game losing streak Mason has failed to show up in the second half, as they have been outscored by a margin of 217-170. Amongst these recent struggles bright spots seem almost non-existant. But if Mason chooses to build on anything its thier rebounding. In the game Mason outrebounded UNCW by a margin of 35-32, thanks to the work of Evelyn Lewis and Rahnekaa Saunders who combined for 17. This is the first time Mason has owned the boards in over three contests.

Mason will put their road woes behind them as they return the Patriot Center on January 19^th to take on William and Mary. This will mark the first of a much-needed three game home stand for the Patriots. Tip-off is slated for 7pm

Keith's Keys to the Game: GMU vs. UNCW

Mason (7-8) comes into today's match-up riding a 5 game losing streak, including dropping 3 straight conference games. UNCW (8-7) is also trying to rebound, as they have also dropped 2 of their last 3 conference games. The Patriots will have to work hard in order to reverse their fortunes on the road, as they have only won 2 of 7 games away from the Patriot Center this season. Both have fallen to 1-3 in CAA play.

What to Watch for:


UNCW appears to be a much deeper in terms of scoring potential then Mason is as they have 7 players overall averaging over 5 points per contest, and three of those  players  average over 9 ppg. It will be Mason's duty to apply equal pressure to the starters as they do the reserves for the full 40 minutes of play.

Mason's bench players need to step up. Against Northeastern, they only contributed 2 points in 38 minutes of playing time. On the other hand, their opponent was able to get 28 points off their bench, mostly by one player solely. Mason needs a spark off their bench, and the player that has shown that spark is Christine Weithman. Mason is in a critical point of their season and they need a skilled player like Weithman to really start to step up her game, and be an impact off the bench with her 3 point shooting ability. If  Mason cannot get this bench production, UNCW has no reason to respect any bench player and will go ahead and play defense conservatively when those reserves players see court time.

Mason needs to show some balance in their game plan, they cannot rely solely on Taleia Moton dropping 20 to 30 points a game. After having a 16 point lead and scoring 36 in the first half against Northeastern, the Patriots only scored 18 in the second half and lost the game by 4. Mason needs to learn to play a full 40 minutes against an opponents starters and reserves, or they will blow leads as they have in the past.

I would tell you a player for Mason to key in on, but I honestly cannot. UNCW is as balanced as they come, or as unpredictable. In their last 5 games alone, they have had 6 different players tie/lead them in scoring.The key to this game is to mark every player like they are the star, because you do not know which one is going to go off for 18 points.

Tip-off is set for 2pm at Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, North Carolina. UNCW won the last meeting in February 2011 by a score of 74-56 in Wilmington.

Dogging it: Patriots Turn in Dismal Second Half in 59-54 Loss

If basketball was a one half game, Mason wouldn’t have to worry. But that isn’t the case and over a two half, 40 minute grueling time span on Thursday night Mason would be exposed. The Patriots dropped their 5th straight contest, a 58-54 battle to CAA rival Northeastern University on Solomon Court. The Patriots have changed identities over the last few games, going from a dominant ( 7-4,1-0) team in mid December, to a mediocre (7-8,1-3) since then. The Huskies snap a three game skid, improving to (3-12,1-3).

Mason stared the game with intensity, an aspect of the game Mason has been leaving on the bus lately. Northeastern was having shooting troubles early, as they failed to connect on their first 14 shots depending heavily on foul shots to keep the game close. At the 15 minute mark Mason went on a spurt, a 10-3 run capped off by a Pickard trip to the line. Both teams would use late runs to keep the score at an arm’s length.

A Taleia Moton dish to floor mate Rahneeka Saunders set up a deep three pointer that sunk with ease. George Mason had developed a 27-18 advantage with five minutes left in the first half. The Patriots continued to step on the gas, their choice of fuel, guard Taleia Moton. Mason’s stand out guard would go on a tear, reeling off the next nine straight points. She would end the first half with 13 points, finishing the game with a team high 21.

At the half the Patriots held a demanding 36-20 lead, holding the Huskies to 21 percent shooting from the floor. George Mason was controlling the game on both ends of the court. Just five minutes into the game Moton was back to work, hitting a 3-pointer to put the score at 44-28.

Northeastern took it personally; they would come back with a vengeance knocking down seven straight points to cut the score to single digits. The Huskies who had trailed since the 17 minute mark in the first, had found their offense in the form of junior guard Deanna Kerkhof.

After an Evelyn Lewis foul, Northeastern had a chance to tie the game at the line. The Huskies converted tying the score with less than two minutes to play. Approaching the 30 seconds mark the score was still tied, until a Kerkhof layup gave Northeastern their first and only lead of the game. A missed jumper by Amber Easter with seven seconds to play would seal Mason’s fate.

The Patriots who had been dominant defensively in the first half racking up three steals, five blocks and holding the Huskies to just one 3-pointer in the first half, couldn’t do the same in the second. Northeastern limited their turnovers and shot a strong 45 percent from the arc connecting on five 3-pointers. Two of those 3-pointers were credited to Deanna Kerkhof who proved to be too much for the Patriots finishing with a game high 25 points.

George Mason will look for some positives amidst this losing streak. Mason has averaged ten or more trips to the line in their last three games, a stat that shows Mason isn’t shying away from the competition. Mason will look flip the switch on Sunday when they take on CAA rival UNCW in North Carolina. Tip-off is slated for 2pm.

Keith's Keys to the Game: GMU vs. Northeastern

George Mason (7-7) squares off Thursday night in Boston against conference foe Northeastern(2-12). Both teams come in riding similar slumps, each having lost the last 6 of 7 games and looking to break those streaks and improve their conference records.

What to Watch For:


Mason is coming off a loss to #21 Delaware at home, but were able to give the Blue Hen's one of their most competitive matches in recent months. This was in part due to the Patriots being able to shoot 40% from the field in the first half against a tough defense, and also by the resurgent scoring of Taleia Moton who dropped 30 points in the game while shooting 50% from the field. But once again old problems crept up on the Patriots, and they will need to fix these problems before they face the Northeastern Huskies.

Mason will absolutely need bench production. The Patriots will have to get more then 5 points in 56 minutes of playing time from the bench, in which is all they got against #21 Delaware. Northeastern has seven players that average over 5 points per contest in contrast to Mason's five players, and this figure shows the Huskies have a number of players who can shoot from the floor. Mason did a great job against Delaware to shut down their role players, but allowed their All-American forward Delle Donne to absolutely dominate play on the court and drop 40 points. Mason will have to strive to play defense across the board and not let Jewel Tunstull of Northeastern, who comes in averaging 13 ppg on 62% shooting from the field,  from dominating  play.

For Mason to secure a victory on the road, it will be important for the Patriots to come out the gates hot and open up a big lead early in the first half of play. So far this season Northeastern is being dominated and outscored in the first half by its opponents with a margin of 394 to 513, a deficit of -119 points just in the opening 20 minuets. Mason on the other hand is only being outscored by a margin of -4 compared to it's opponents, while the Patriots have outscored their opponents by a margin of +7 in the second half on the course of the season. If Mason is able to build a decent lead in the first half, Northeastern has shown over the  season so far that they are very unlikely to be able to overcome a large deficit especially in the second half of play.

In order for Mason to build up this first half lead they will need to focus on two things, rebounding and turnovers. The Huskies only come into tonight's game averaging 33 rebound a game, compared to Mason's 38 per game. Their should be an emphasis on Evelyn Lewis and Janaa Pickard to really push down low and try to fight hard for rebounds against the tall, but poor rebounding Notheastern forwards and guards. Other then the 6'3 Jewel Tunstull, who averages 7 rebounds a game, only 1 other player averages more then 4 rebounds.

As far as turnovers go, the Huskies have had trouble controlling the ball and it has lead to some recent close defeats. Against  CAA foe UNCW, Northeastern committed 23 turnovers in a 7 point defeat. It will be pertinent for two of the best defensive guards in the CAA, Rahneeka Saunders and Taleia Moton, to up the defensive pressure and force the Huskies into committing their season average 20 turnovers per contest and to then capitalize by scoring on those opportunities.

It will be key to see some significant bench production, in the upwards of +10 points, to help secure the victory tonight. And it wouldn't hurt if Taleia Moton kept up her average by dropping 21 points, but this team needs a balance in order to be successful going forward.

Tip-off is at 7 pm in Boston. Mason, 1-2 in conference play, look to improve to .500 and break a season high 4 game losing streak against the lowly Huskies who are 0-3 in the CAA. Mason (7-7) defeated  Northeastern (2-12) in their last match-up in March 2011 at home by 22 points.

Blue Hens Keep On Clucking, Defeat Patriots 66-54

          The Patriots knew coming into this huge CAA matchup there was one name they had to focus on: Elena Delle Donne. Delle Donne, the nation's leading scorer at 30 points per game, had to be contained if George Mason had a chance to pull off the upset. Delle Donne had other plans however as she came out of the gate on fire. After a putback layup by Danielle Parker to start things off for Deleware, Delle Donne scored 15 straight points for the Blue Hens, including 3 three-pointers in a row.

            The Patriots meanwhile struggled from the floor early, only converting on 2 of their first 12 shots. They were dominated on the boards in the first half as well, with the Blue Hens grabbing 24, and George Mason only 8. A Moton three-ball helped spark the offense as they cut the lead to 7 with 11 minutes left in the first. The game plan going into the game (as noted in our Keys to the Game) was that George Mason had to shoot well from the floor, especially with the shot-blocking presence of Delle Donne for the Blue Hens.

            After struggling at the start, the Patriots finished the first half shooting close to 41%. A huge push, 11-2 run, towards the end of the half brought Mason to within 5 points with 2 minutes left. A few free throws from Delle Donne (who had 19 points and 11 boards in her 19 minutes of play) along with a jumper from Lauren Carra pushed the lead for the Blue Hens back up to 9, as they led the Patriots 34-25 at half. Moton led Mason in scoring with 10 first half points.

            Mason came out of the halftime break cold, finding all of their down low opportunities rejected by Delle Donne. The Patriots were unable to get their first bucket until 4 minutes into the 2nd half, coming off of a nice layup from Easter. George Mason went away from what was working in the first half, as they insisted on finding points in the paint, even though there was nothing open down there. Instead they found the hot hand of Taleia Moton, as she connected from outside, along with a steal and layup to cut the score to 43-32 with 13 minutes left in the game.

            The Patriots attacked Delle Donne all game long with double teams, along with a constant rotation on defense with Lewis, McNair, Watts, and Pickard. While the defense was unable to stop her completely, it was able to keep her from completely dominating, which allowed Mason to hang around. The pesky Patriots cut it to a 6 point game after a Moton bucket and foul, but was immediately answered by a Delle Donne layup with 10 minutes left. The Basketball Gods can go ahead and rename the 2nd Half "Delle Donne Time". The 6'5 Junior was absolutely unstoppable. Jump hooks, turnaround jumpers, along with the always deadly three-point stroke had Delle Donne scoring 23 of the Blue Hens 32 points in the 2nd Half.

           An Amber Easter 3 ball cut the lead to 56-46 with 5 minutes left in the game, but that was as close as the Patriots got as they fell to the Blue Hens, 66-54. Delle Donne finished with 40 points and 15 rebounds, she also added 3 blocks and was 7 for 8 from the free throw line. The Blue Hens as a team shot 87.5% from the charity stripe, as they went 14 for 16. George Mason's leading scorer was Taleia Moton, who finished with 30 points and 6 steals. Moton was a perfect 9 for 9 for her free throws and shot 50% from the floor. Mason was dominated 30-16 in points in the paint and let Deleware score 15 2nd chance points.

            Mason will travel on a short two-game road trip starting at Northeastern on the 12th followed by UNCW on the 15th. The Patriots are now 7-7 overall and 1-2 in the CAA.

Ben's Keys to the Game

      After a long and ardous 3 game road trip that brought the Patriots record to just above .500 at 7-6, they are now greeted at home by the 20th ranked (USA Today) Deleware Blue Hens. The 11-1 Blue Hens bring alot of fire-power to the Patriot Center on Sunday, let's get right into the Keys to the Game.

Home Sweet Home

      The Patriots will gladly return to the Patriot Center with a sigh of relief after the shalacking they took on their 3 game road trip. 5 of the 7 wins George Mason has this year come from their home floor, losing only to American and University of Maryland. The time away from Fairfax has clearly not been favorable, in their recent stretch of losing 5 of their last 6 games, all but one loss (Maryland) came on the road. Sadly the Blue Hens could care less about traveling, they are unbeaten away from Deleware with their only loss occuring at home against a very strong Maryland squad. Let the Green Machine and home crowd cheer the Patriots to an upset victory.

Shut Down the Star

      Much easier said than done. Meet Elena Delle Donne: a 6'5 stud who averages close to 30 points a game, around 10 rebounds a game, is 2nd on the team for assists with 26, and has 34 blocks already this season. Oh, by the way, she's only a Junior. For the Patriots to have any chance of pulling the upset they must attack and contain Donne. Senior Evelyn Lewis is the tallest Patriot at 6'3, still two inches shorter than Donne, but Lewis plays very physical down low in the paint. Lewis will have her hands full, but must try to body up Donne and force her to take jumpers rather than easy layups. George Mason also must try to get Donne in foul trouble. The refs always give post players a bad rap, as alot of fouls are called inside. Taleia Moton and Rahneeka Saunders, along with the rejuvinated Amber Easter, must attack with their speed and quickness down low to draw Donne into early foul trouble. If they can get her on the bench early with 2-3 fouls in the first half this opens up the floor for the Patriots. Pump fakes and quick moves are a must.

Hit Open Shots

      With a 6'5 shotblocking machine down low, George Mason will have to rely on its jump shooting ability all game long. An off night from any one of the guards could be deadly. Moton has now emerged as the clear star on this team, 9th in the nation in scoring (20.6 points per game), and will need to be her usual high scoring self on Sunday. Some strong perimeter shooting is a must as well, with Moton, Saunders, and Christine Weithman will all need to be able to hit from outside. Amber Easter will need to keep doing her thing as well, as she seems to be a double-double machine, collecting 13 points and 11 boards last game against William & Mary. Get good looks, hit open shots, no problem right?

Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow, be sure and come out and support the Patriots as they look to pull of the upset and collect an important CAA victory!

Road Block: Mason Loses Third Game of Road Set 76-66

Even the resurgence of Junior standout Amber Easter wasn’t enough for the Patriots to win on the road. Easter, a former CAA Rookie of the Year recipient, cashed in with 13 points and 11 rebounds but all in a losing effort as Mason (7-6,1-1) was knocked off 76-66 by CAA rival William and Mary (8-5,1-1). This is the Patriots third loss in as many games, as they end one of their longest road trips of the season. The Tribe whose record was tied with the Patriots prior to tip-off, now moves to a tie for fifth in the overall CAA standing.

The Patriots didn’t waste much time coming out of the gates, as they took an early 4-0 lead. But William and Mary kept it close by going on small runs. There were three first half ties. At the ten minute mark Mason began to pull away, the catalyst a Cierra Strickland 3-pointer. An 11- 6 run would ensue, helping Mason take a ten point lead. The Patriots continued their dominance up until play was halted by a media timeout.

William and Mary came out looking completely different. They came out faster and on point. A Janine Albridge 3-pointer sparked a Tribe frenzy. A 10- 5 run put the score at 33-38 as the halftime buzzer sounded. Mason who was very much in control for the first part of the half was outplayed in last 6 minutes as William and Mary secured three offensive rebounds, all the second chances they would need.

The second half was where we saw a changing of the guard, literally, Coach Porter would go to her bench trading speed for shooting percentage as she swapped guard Ranekaa Saunders for Christine Weithman. The Tribe took advantage as they reeled off an 11-4 run, concluding with a strong pass from Taysha Pye to Emily Correal. The Mason coaching staff had seen enough as they used a 30 second timeout, to help them regain their identify. They went from leading by nine to a tie with less than eight minutes to go. Pye was the best player of the night as she lead all scorers with 21 points to pace William and Mary.

With just two minutes to go Taysha Pye missed a jumper that would have put William and Mary up by 11, surely a healthy lead. But it was strong defense by Mason that forced the miss. Though like the game was for much of the second half the shot was followed up with an offensive rebound, the second chance leading to a trip to the line. The Tribe would grab 16 offensive rebounds. Pye would sink both shots to ultimately ice the game for William and Mary.

Mason who shot a measly 32 percent from the floor in the second half, just couldn’t seem to keep the Tribe at bay. One bright spot in the game was the Patriots free throw shooting as they shot 80 percent for the game, putting their percentage at 71 percent total on this three game road swing.

The Patriots will look for a change in scenery to shake their recent luck, as they head to the Patriot Center for a matchup against number 20 ranked Delaware on January 8th. With 16 contests to play, eight home and eight away George needs seven wins to best their overall record from last year. Tipoff with Delaware is slated for 2pm.

Keith's Keys the Game: GMU vs. W&M

Mason enters Thursday's game against fellow CAA member William and Mary (7-5) with another road loss. The Mason has now lost their last 4 out of 5, and will need to quickly stop the bleeding for it not to affect their current 1-0 conference record.

What was key in the Patriots(7-5) last defeat  Norfolk State Spartans was a lack of rebounding. The Patriots were out-rebounded 45-33, and the only thing that kept Mason in the game was Christine Weithman coming off the bench  to hit 4 three-pointers. And once again their was not much production form either of the starting forwards in terms of productive scoring or rebounding. Both Evelyn Lewis and Janaa Pickard only combined for 8 of Mason's 33 rebounds, and a lack luster 10 total points of the 57 the Patriots scored.

What to Watch For:

William and Mary has been on a roller coast ride for the last month and a half. Since getting a win over Longwood on November 30th, a team Mason also defeated,  the Tribe has alternated wins and loses in each of their following competitions leading up to the present, going 4-3 in that time frame. The Tribe currently stand at 7-5, 0-1 in conference play after a loss to ranked Delaware.

In order for Mason to win this game they will have to rely on tough defense to defend the great shooters of William and Mary. Currently the Tribe has 4 players that average double digit scoring, with at least 3 players averaging double digit field goal attempts. This shows that William and Mary is a extremely balanced team and almost anyone on the floor is willing and able to score. This shows that they will score in bunches if not guarded correctly. William and Mary will test the perimeter defense of Taleia Moton and Rahneeka Saunders as the Tribe are averaging almost 36 more three-point attempts on the season, and have 4 players shooting atleast 32% from behind the arc on a minimum of 14 attempts. Those stats rank the Tribe 11th in the NCAA in total three point percentage in hitting just over 37% as a team. The Mason guards will need to put a star around the name Janine Aldridge, who tied for the lead in scoring for the tried with 13.8 per game and attempts 8 three-pointers per game.

Janine Aldridge #30--Shoots 40% from behind arc

The Tribe come in averaging 70 points per contest, while Mason hovers around 62. It will be important for Taleia Moton to be more a a distributor, and wait for good opportunities. To be successful tonight, Christine Weithman will need to provide some sort of impact off the bench like she did against Norfolk State, or to at least open up the floor to allow the forwards like Janaa Pickard to roam in a more open middle and allow easy jumpers.

This looks like it could be a shootout with William and Mary giving up about 65 points a game, and Mason showing the ability to sore having reached 80 points 3 times this season. In 3 of the 5 loses for Mason this season, players other then Taleia Moton have finished the game as the high scorer. This shows that for Mason to be successful, especially in a a run-and-gun game like this, the Patriots will need Taleia Moton to rebound from last game's slumber in which she had 11 points on 5 of 17 shooting, and return to being the floor general she was earlier in the season by taking more efficient shots.

Tip-off is at 7pm in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Battle of the Green and Gold: Patriots Lose 60-57 in Close Contest

Christine Weithman supplied the offense for George Mason, raining down 3-pointers. But it was the offensive storm by Norfolk State that proved to be too much as the Patriots lost 60-57 at Echols Hall. The Patriots (7-4, 0-1) have dropped two straight games on their current road trip, while Norfolk State (6-7) snaps a five game skid.

The Patriots are now 2-3 on the road, a place that has plagued Mason since Coach Porter took the helm. With only seven road games to go, the Patriots must win at least two more to better their win total from last year. Mason was 3-11 away from the Patriot Center in 2010-11 season.

With the start of the first half, things were not falling the Patriots way. Already three minutes into the game George Mason had totaled two turnovers and no points. The Patriots have been hurt by turnovers over the last three games, averaging a little over 18 turnovers per contest. In tonights game their was a combined 34 turnovers, 16 by George mason. This is not a statistic that will help guide you atop the CAA standings, let alone win games.

Even with the slow start Norfolk couldn’t take advantage. Seven minutes in Mason had gone on a 10-1 run, but Norfolk quickly answered with an 8-1 run of their own. Late in the first half we were witnessing a nail bitter as Joyous Tharrington was at the line with the score tied at 24. After hitting both, Norfolk State provided some more stress for the nerves as Batavia Owens hit a layup with 36 seconds to play.

After being tied at 26 to end the first half, we saw a different style in the second. George Mason kept control of the ball only committing two turnovers for the half. A strong defensive rebound by Weithman, led the Patriots on a break that concluded with Weithman 3-pointer to put the score at 43-44. The sophomore guard finished the game with a game high 14 points, shooting over 50% from the arc.

With 20 seconds to go in the game, the score 56-55 sophomore Whitney Long stepped to line. After connecting on both shots, Norfolk led the game by three. Weithman continued to provide the offense, as she was fouled with 12 ticks to go. She hit both dropping the deficit to just one. A foul by Mason to stop the clock gave sophomore guard Rae Corbo a chance to put her team back up by three. A perimeter jumper by Pickard fell off, and that would seal the win for the Spartans.

The Patriots will look to salvage the final game of this road trip when they take on CAA rival William Mary. Tip off is slated for 7pm in Williamsburg, VA.

Keith's Keys to the Game: GMU vs. Norfolk State

Mason enters this game coming off a dominating loss by the paws of the Ohio University Bobcats. Their seems to be appearing a pattern on the road thus far, that dates back to last season. Mason is currently 2-2 on the road,  dropping the last two by a combined 28 points. If Mason cannot salvage the remaining two games of the road trip finishing up at William and Mary, then this season's record may be showing signs of last years road woes when the Patriots were 3-11 outside of the Patriot Center.



What to Watch For:

1) Turnovers:  In Mason's last match-up against Ohio University, in which they were defeated by 16 points, the Patriots gave up 15 turnovers while only forcing 10 turnovers from the Bearcats on just 2 total steals. This is a important statistic because Norfolk State comes in as a team that has a high turnover rate, about 19 per game, and it will be important for the Patriots to get on-ball pressure and force the Spartans to make mistakes as they are prone to do. The Norfolk State Spartans come in riding a 5 game losing streak, and the turnover margin is a big reason for their current 5-7 record. Rahneeka Saunders and Evelyn Lewis combined for a total of 9 turnovers in the last game, so it will be Mason's job as well to secure the basketball and on the other end force the Spartans into pressure situations.

#14 Whitney Long-14.8 ppg

2)  Defend the Guards: Senior Whitney Long and sophomore Rae Corbo come into tonight's games as the two leading scorers, at 14 and 12 points per game respectively, and the obvious threats to the Mason defense. Whitney Long will be a player for Mason to defiantly to keep an eye on because of her 5'4 frame, which she uses to her advantage with  great speed on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. She is hovering around 40% from the field shooting, and shoots a decently high 35% from outside the three point line. It will be important for Taleia Moton to bring her team leading 2.4 steals per game style of hard nose defense, and apply it directly to Whitney Long all night.


3) Game Plan: This is a match-up that on paper should be a win for the Patriots, that is if they perform to their abilities. The Patriots dominated the Spartans in Fairfax last year 72-45, in only the third ever meeting between the schools.  If Mason is able to utilize their size and skill inside with Evelyn Lewis and Janaa Pickard, it should open it up for easy scoring for the guards and especially high volume/efficency shooter Taleia Moton averaging 22 points on 16 attempts per contest. Norfolk State's tallest starting player in 6-1 in  Batavia Owens, but she only averages around 16 minuets a game and just 5 ppg. And when Mason does hopefully score, it will enable them to setup the full court or 3-4 press to try to force turnovers, which is the achilles heel of this Spartans' team. This game will come down to having a solid game plan and making sure the players follow through with it on the court.

Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Joesph Echols Hall in Norfolk. Mason (7-4) will look to improve their road record before league play, while the Norfolk State Spartans(5-7) will look to snap their 5 game losing streak before they begin conference play in the MEAC. You can listen to the game live on the GoMason Digital Network on WGMUradio.com.

Happy New Year and Go Mason!