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. 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.

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.

CAA Conference Opener: GMU vs. ODU Preview

George Mason will enter the Patriot Center tonight for their first CAA matchup of the season against rival Old Dominion. Old Dominion comes into the game with new but familiar faces, lead by first year head coach Karen Barefoot. Barefoot, the former head coach of Elon University, led her Elon team to their first ever Division I playoff appearance is no stranger to the game of basketball. The 209-143 career record coach Barefoot has compiled, as well as receiving two "National Coach of the Year" awards, shows her commitment and ability to turn around programs..

Offesivley ODU is paced by their standout senior Tia Lewis. Lewis is averaging 16.9 ppg and a sizable 9.3 rebounds. Last year Lewis was both a member of the All-CAA third team and ODU women’s basketball team MVP.

George Mason is riding a 5 game win streak into tonight’s contest, the best start under head coach Jerri Porter. Mason has been on a tear lately, lead by the floor general Taleia Moton. Moton will look to continue her dominance tonight, as she asserts herself as one of the best scorers in the nation, averaging just above 21 ppg.

This will be the 50th meeting between the two teams, Old Dominion has a strangle hold on the series with a 48-1 advantage. The last contest between the two teams was a 68-67 nail bitter, as Jasmine Parker hit a buzzer beater with 1 second left to seal the win for ODU.

Thing to Watch:

- Taleia Moton vs ODU freshman point guards. Moton has dominated every team she faced this year and should have her way against a young ODU backcourt.

- Tia Lewis vs Mason bigs. Tia Lewis fights for every board and loves scoring inside. If Evelyn Lewis and Janaa Pickard get into foul trouble again, it could be a long night.

- Coach Barefoot vs Coach Jerri Porter. Karen Barefoot is no stranger to the ODU program, she was with them from 05-08, where she won three CAA Championships. But Coach Porter has her kids playing inspired basketball. The best part is that all the players on the team are her recruits. What a coaching battle.

Listen in as we sit down with head coach Karen Barefooot to talk about her new coaching gig, the CAA and stopping the 5-1 Patriots

Patriot’s Enter the Battlefield Against Minutewomen, Come Out the Victors 55 to 52 Over UMass

Tonight’s matchup between the Patriots (4-1) and UMass(1-5) would seem on paper to be another blowout, but it was anything but the sort at the Patriot Center.

The crowd inside the Patriot Center was a little taken aback because for the first time in quite a while, Amber Easter was missing from the starting lineup. It wasn’t for a lack of production, as Amber has averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds per contest this year, but for the injury she acquired during the blowout win against UNC-Ashville last week. It was in that same game though; we saw the star potential in sophomore guard Christine Weithman who dropped 22 points off the bench. Sources tell us that Easter’s injury isn’t too serious, and she is no longer in a walking boot. But the play of Weithman gave the Patriots hope of added production off the bench. In tonight’s matchup against the Minuetwoman, in which Coach Porter gave Weithman her first career start, it wasn’t the case.

The game once again fell on the shoulders of potential “CAA Player of the Year” Taleia Moton who finished the game with 32 points, 13 of 22 from the field, to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Weithman was unable to get back the stroke she had last Sunday, finishing with just 6 points on 2 of 6 from beyond the 3-point line. Despite the lack of production, she still played 29 minutes, and commanded a lot of respect from the UMass defenders who face guarded her all night. This really opened up the game for Moton, who was given a lot of 1-on-1 matchups and she easily took advantage of them.

This was a night where, to be truthful, Taleia honestly had to “Tebow” her team to victory. The bench was given time to play on the court, with 4 players getting 37 minutes. But the production was weak, with the bench only producing 5 points over that time period. Joyous Tharrington played extremely hard when she was put into the game, getting 2 rebounds and 4 points, but the Patriots will need more production from her and the rest of the bench for the team to be successful in the CAA.

Mason, though at times was getting dominated in the paint, still was able to win the rebounding battle by a margin of 39-37. And a key to winning this game was going to be creating turnovers and getting steals, and Mason won both those battles 12-14 and 8-4 respectively.

Mason is off to their hottest start of the season at 5-1, and is the best start to a campaign since 2000-2001. The Patriots will open up CAA play this Sunday at home against rival ODU. They will face one of the top forwards in the conference in Tia Lewis, who is averaging 16 ppg. If the defensive play of Evelyn Lewis and Jannaa Pickard does not improve from tonight’s performance, the Monarchs may be in for a big night scoring within the paint.

Tip is set for 2pm Sunday, at the Patriot Center. Listen here for Coach Porters post-game comments following the close win over UMass.

Rolling Along: Patriots Cruising to Best Start Since 2001

When George Mason hits the floor tonight at the Patriot Center in a matchup against UMass, they will look to build off a week of success. The Patriots currently sit at 4-1 in their conference, good for third in the CAA. Mason's weekly success includes wins over Longwood, Stony Brook and UNC Asheville. During this strech they have averaged 74 points, 12 assists and just under 38 rebounds. In these games, Mason has been lead by the strong play of senior guard Taleia Moton, who ranks in the top 15 in the nation in ppg. Below is a list of the individual and team accomplishments George Mason has made over the last week:

- Sophomore Christian Weithman hit 5 three pointers against UNC Asheville to tie her career high, and also tied a career point high with 22

- Senior Taleia Moton scored 19 second half points against UNC Asheville to end the game with 30 points. It was the second time this week, she also scored 30 in the game against Longwood.

- George Mason reachd the 80 point plateau twice last week, the first time since the 2006 season

- Senior Taleia Moton was name CAA co-player of the week

- At 4-1 this marks Mason's best start under head coach Jeri Porter


Tune in live tonight to our broadcast of GMU women's basketball starting at 6:30pm. Follow this link to listen in .

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!