Patriots Fall to JMU, Lose Third Straight to the Dukes 54-64 in CAA Quarterfinals

The Patriots came as close as 4 points aginst the JMU Dukes on Friday in the quarterfinals of the CAA tournament, but just could not come up with the right stuff to finish. JMU would win the game 64-54 to advance to the semifinals of the CAA tournament against Drexel.

Mason would be defensively shutdown by JMU's defenders Tarik Hislop and Nikki Newman who forced a combined 9 steals on the night. The Patriot's would go into halftime with a 4 point lead though, but would be unable to handle the strategy the Dukes would throw at them in the second half.


In the second half, JMU would switch back and forth between a one-on-one defense and a zone. This defensive strategy by the Dukes helped hold the Patriots to 33.3% shooting in the second half, which would lead to Mason losing the rebounding battle 18 to 24 in the half. The JMU defense would contain Taleia Moton to 4 of 13 shooting from the field in the second half, as well as holding Amber Easter to 1 of 4 shooting in  the half. The defensive statistics as well as points off of turnovers, 5 to 14 in favor of JMU, is what helped fuel JMU to the victory. Overall JMU would be more aggressive down low and driving in the lane, which lead to the high differential of free-throw attempts 15 to 37 in favor of JMU. Overall the aggressiveness of JMU's forward Nikki Newman on the boards and forcing fouls down low really put the nail in the coffin for the Patriots.

Mason finishes the season with 15 wins and 16 losses overall, but once again improving on the previous year's record. Watching the Patriots this year should give Mason fans a lot of hope for next season, as the trio of  Amber Easter, Janaa Pickard, and Rahneeka Saunders return and will be the big time play-makers in the CAA as they average 12, 8.5, and 7.5 points per game. The achievements of seniors Taleia Moton, Evelyn Lewis, and Amber Epps cannot be stressed enough in helping this George Mason program achieve its first tournament win in six years.

The positive legacy that these seniors leave behind will leave a lasting impact for years to come on this program. Best of luck to them in the the future. Thank you for your hard work.

The Patriots Silence the Huskies 70-60, Advance to the CAA Quarterfinals for the First Time Since 2006

The George Mason women's basketball team did something they hadn't done since 2006, win a CAA tournament game.  On Thursday the #7 seeded Patriots traveled to the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro Maryland and faced off against the very hot #10 seeded Northeastern Huskies. It was a back and forth match-up that had 15 lead changes between the two teams, but once the Patriots got the lead they would hold on to it 70-60.

Evelyn Lewis played tough since the tip

The key for Mason (15-15, 8-10) finally quenching their post-season winless drought was their focus and understanding of who they were playing and how they had to beat them. Coach Porter talked post game on how they knew Northeastern's  record (8-22, 6-12) was deceiving, saying "We thought, minus Delaware, they were the hottest team in the league coming into the tournament". Coach Porter also acknowledged that she felt both  Northeastern's starting forwards deserved All-Conference Team honors, saying "Not sure why Jewel Tunstull or Christine Hurber weren't on any of them, they are amazingly good". Both players showed why Coach Porter made sure to scout them pre-game. Both Tunstull and Huber both exceeded their season averages in scoring, tallying 15 and 25 points respectively to lead Northeastern. But the Mason defense did a good job to make it tough on the rest of the shooters including All-CAA Third team selection Deanna Kerkhof who only had 5 points on 2 of 8 shooting, 10 points below here conference scoring average.

Even with Mason's efficient defense, the Patriot's were still down 4 points with around 7 minutes remaining in the game. This is the point in which Coach Porter pointed out that this Patriot team has really changed from the beginning of the season, "We have matured I think into a team that knows how to put 40 minutes together and that's not something we've been able to say all season long". 

Mason was focused from the beginning, playing unselfish

Down the stretch in this game I personally  saw a totally different team then I've seen all year. The passing went all around the perimeter, inside and out, until the person with the best shot or path to the hoop was open and took it. This win truly was a win for the team, even though Taelia Moton had 20 points and Amber Easter had a double-double with 22 points-13 rebounds. From the point that Mason tied the game at 57-57 on a Janaa Pickard jumper with 6:43 remaining, the Patriots would hold Northeastern to just 1 of 9 shooting till the final buzzer. On the other hand in the same time frame, the Patriots would go 7 of 9 from the field with 4 different players recording a field goal or made free-throw. And you may ask where did this killer instinct come from all of a sudden? It can best be described by Amber Easter who said "We knew that this was a game we needed to win, and wanted to see tomorrow".

The Patriots also set a Colonial Athletic Association tournament record in a stat nobody would ever believe, consecutive free-throws made. Mason went an incredible 18 of 18 from the line for 100% efficency. This shows the focus of the Patriots when players like Evelyn Lewis and Janaa Pickard, who shoot 50% and 68% for the free-throw line, are able to go a combined 8 of 8 from the stripe. That is 18 free points the Patriots converted, and it helped keep them in the game when they would get down early. Senior leader Taleia Moton nailed it on the head when she commented "We practice that(free-throws) everyday, and we knew stepping up to that line we needed to focus....Sometimes in a close game it comes down to that one or two free-throws".

Nikki Newman names Defense POY in CAA

Now Mason gets to look forward to facing the JMU Dukes for the 2nd time in 10 days. In the last match-up, the Patriots lost 54-66 in a game that was closer then the score appears.  In our wrap up post of the team's last meeting, we highlighted that Evelyn Lewis had her way early in that game but then seemed to trail off towards the second half. In Friday's match-up, Mason will need Lewis to be as aggressive as she has ever been if the Patriots want to pull the upset over the #2 seeded James Madison Dukes. The Patriots have a big chance to win this game, but they will have to move the ball similar to what they did in the last 5-6 minutes against Northeastern, and box-out against the CAA Defensive Player of the Year Nikki Newman as well as fight through the screens in order to maintain tight one-on-one defense.

Tip-off is 5pm on Friday Feburary 9th at the Show Place Arena between #7 George Mason (15-15) and #2 JMU (23-6).

#7 Seeded Patriots Look to Improve on the Past, Forge Ahead in the CAA Tournament

George Mason (14-15, 8-10) comes into Friday's 5pm opening round match-up against the #10 seed Northeastern Huskies (8-21, 6-12) looking to avenge last year's performance, a first round knock out as a #8 seed against Georgia State, and move forward to break the Patriot's CAA tournament winless drought.


Mason has not been in the CAA Championship Game since 2006, and hasn't been a top 4 seed since the 2004 season. The Patriots have not won a CAA tournament game in almost 6 years, so you may ask, why is their hope for this season? The answer is Coach Porter and her rejuvenation of the program.

When Coach Jeri Porter left Radford University and took over the George Mason program in 2008, she inherited a struggling team who has just finished the previous season 11th in the 12 team conference. In her first two years at Mason Coach Porter doubled the win totals overall, but the Patriots' were still finishing #11 and #12 in the conference. Then came the breakout 2010-2011 season.  The Patriots won 7 conference games and improved their win total from the previous season by +3 victories which helped them achieve their highest standing in the CAA tournament since 2005, a #8 seed.

Coach Porter and the Patriots have once again improved on last year's record, by being +1 in conference victories and earning a #7 seed in the 2012 CAA tournament.  This Mason squad came into the season only returning 2 starters, Amber Easter and Taleia Moton, but still improved on their previous season's record.  Coach Porter has really helped to tailor this offense to the strengths of its guards and their speed, which has allowed Moton and Easter to pushed their scoring averages up +8 and +2 respectively from last season. This has lead to Moton being the #12 ranked scorer in the nation, and giving her the ability to take over a game for the Patriots during crunch time.

This Patriot team is  unique from the past in that they have a a variety of ways they can beat an opponent. Their is no doubt Mason has lost games they should have  won, especially in conference, but in losses against top teams they have shown their true abilities. Mason has a variety of ways they can score on an opponent, either pressing the ball or playing half court. Rahneeka Saunders is one of the most underrated ball handlers in the CAA who quickly and unselfishly gives the ball up to the person with the best opportunity to score. Senior star Taleia Moton has the unique skills at being 5'6 to either blow by you with her speed on the dribble, or to step back and drain a jumper.  Then you have the wild card player, forward Janaa Pickard, who came into this year having missed all last season with an injury. The 6'1 sophomore forward is averaging 8.6 ppg as a starter, but her unique ability comes from shooting from mid-range and long distance. On the season she is hitting 39% from the 3-point line, and has show the ability to battle down low or take a defender outside for a 15-foot jumper.

Finally Coach Porter has a complied group of role and bench players capable of giving quality production during tough tournament games. Guard Christine Weithman at times this season has shown the ability to be a real threat off the bench, averaging 4 ppg and hitting 38.5% from beyond the 3-point arc. Weithman is a streak shooter, but something that makes this Mason team unique and dangerous if she gets hot.   With the added contribution of guard Joyous Tharrington and forward Cierra Strickland, and you have a very deep and skilled bench for the Patriots to use in the CAA tournament.

If you add all the above factors with a Mason defense that is only allowing oppnents to shoot 37.8%, which ranks them 3rd in the conference and the highest they've placed in that category since before 2004, then you have a Patriot squad capable of breaking the tournament wins drought.

Dukes Show Their Bite, Spoil Senior Night: Mason Falls to JMU 66-54

Senior Amber Epps was honored

Mason came into their game Wednesday night against JMU knowing that if they won, they had a firm chance to secure a #6 seed in the CAA tournament and avoid having to play the Dukes possibly twice in 10 days. On senior night when Taleia Moton, Evelyn Lewis, and Amber Epps were all honored for all they have done for George Mason women's basketball, fortunes did not fall the Patriots way. As the final whistle sounded their would be no celebrating for Mason, as the Patriots would fall to the Dukes 66-54.

This was a game of scoring runs, in which JMU would build a lead as large as 12, and then Mason would clamp down to try to crawl closer. Mason however would never lead in this game, unless you count the first bucket they scored with 32 seconds in the game to make it 2-0.

The first half was a precursor to the second half for the Patriots. In the first-half Mason shot 40% from the field, compared to JMU's 33%, but yet the Patriots still trailed by 1 after the first 20 minutes. Mason had a huge opportunity in the first-half to take hold of the game, but failed to do it. JMU operated their offense, pushing the ball up and attempting 6 more attempts then the Patriots in the half. Even tho the Dukes weren't shooting efficiently, they still were able to score because of tough defense and scoring 7 points off of Mason's 8 turnovers in the first half. Keep in mind Mason only had 9 total turnovers in the whole game, so this sloppy play really kept JMU in the game early when they were having trouble hitting a shot.

Senior Taleia Moton was held in check with just 15 pts

Early in the game it seemed as though Mason was trying to set a tone by going strong in the paint with Evelyn Lewis, who was easily more physical than any post player on JMU's roster. In the first 7 minutes of the game Lewis went 3 for 3, all down low with layups and hooks within 3 feet of the basket. Overall Lewis would go 5 of 10 from the field for 10 points, but it seemed Mason seemed to abandon her towards the end of the first half and continuing into the second half when JMU would hit a few quick shots to push the lead to double digits. Mason would settle for tough 17-20 ft jump shots instead of hammering the ball down low where Lewis had complete control of the post. I seemed more to be more practical to take your chances with your size advantage down low even with the point differential, especially when Taleia Moton was having a bit of a off-night in which she missed drives and lay-ups that normally go in with her eyes closed.

Senior Evelyn Lewis 10 pts, 5 rbs 

The second half was a complete different story for the JMU offense, as they really put the pressure on the Mason defense by putting up 42 points and shooting 48% in the half. JMU's Kirby Burkholder began the half by hitting back-to-back 3's to contribute to her 13 points and 13 rebounds on the night. Overall the the Dukes scoring was complimented by their rebounding, with both Burkholder and  Nikki Newman(15 pts, 12 rbs) both grabbing double digit boards and points. Nikki Newman was truly a huge mismatch for the Patriots with her 6'2 frame and ability to drive hard or step back and shoot the jumper. But it wasn't just about one or two players carrying the Dukes to victory. JMU had 4 of the 5 starters scoring at least 13 points on the night, showing the balance of shot attempts across the court and thus putting pressure on the defense to secure all points of attack.

Amber Easter came off the bench to lead Mason with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Coach Porter did the classy thing and started seldom used senior Amber Epps in place of Easter for the first 3 minutes of the game.  Easter has definitely grown as a play-maker/do-it-all for the Patriots, but even she only shot 35% on 6 of 17 from the field. Overall the Patriots would keep themselves in it with some of the best free-throw shooting they've had all season, 15 of 16 for 93% in the second half, but they would get no closer then within 4 points with 4:07 remaining in the game.

With the loss against JMU, the Patriots have clinched the #7 seed for the CAA tournament and are set to meet the Northeastern Huskies (8-21, 6-12) on Thursday March 8th in the opening round match-up. Mason has met Northeastern twice this season, beating them big at home 75-62 but losing narrowly on the road in Boston 54-58.  Northeastern may only have won 6 of 18 games in conference, but in the last two and a half weeks they have won 5 of their last 6 in beating two of the CAA's top 4 teams ( James Madison, Hofstra). This is definatly a extremely tough matchup for Mason, as Northearstern seems to be getting hot at the right time, and the Patriots have recently gone cold losing their last 4 of 6.

Stay tuned for our tournament preview!

The Silencing of the Rams: Mason Gets Sweep of VCU, Looks Forward to Senior Night Against JMU

The Patriots (14-14, 8-9) traveled to the Verizon Wireless Arena in Richmond just one day after the Mason men's basketball team was defeated on national television by the VCU men's basketball team. The women came into the game seeking to settle the score between the in-state rivals, as well as improve their overall record back to an even .500. The Patriots did this in convincing fashion by securing the lead with 11:13 left in the first half and never giving it up until they had sealed the victory 69-59.

Lewis had a solid night w/ 8 and 10

As stated in our preview for this match-up, in order for the Patriot's to secure a victory they would have to limit the threat of VCU's all-star forward Courtney Hurt. And while Mason did not by any means take her out of the game or shut her down, the defensive presence by Evelyn Lewis and Janaa Pickard held Hurt to below her averages in both scoring and rebounding. Courtney Hurt came in shooting 45.9% from the field, and the Mason defense was able to limit her to only hitting 8 of 19 from the field (42%).

The second thing we  stated Mason needed to focus on was limiting the effectiveness of the role players on VCU, thus putting more pressure on Courtney Hurt to force shots and put the team on her back. Mason did this to a certain extent, allowing only one VCU player not having the name "Hurt" on the back their jersey to score in double-digits. Andrea Barbour of VCU had 18 points on 50%  shooting from the field, but the other three Ram starters only combined for 6 of 19 (31.5%)  from the field and 14 total points. Mason effectively played team defense for the full 40 minutes, forcing the Rams into 17 turnovers with tough on-ball pressure coming from Rahneeka Saunders and Taleia Moton who both had 3 steals apiece.

Strickland had 8 points in 18 mins

Overall Mason was able to get their second win against VCU this season because of a strong TEAM game. Taleia Moton and Amber Easter combined for 35 points on 13 of 26 (50%) shooting from the field. Evelyn Lewis had a very solid offense night to go along with her great defensive performance, scoring 8 points (4 of 7) and hauling in 8 rebounds. And to top it all off, the most surprising figure of the night had to be in the column of Sophomore guard Cierra Strickland. Strickland, who came into the game only averaging 1.7 points in extremely limited action, scored 8 points in just 18 minutes of court time. Solid bench production like this is what separates an average Mason team, from being a a good or great basketball team.

Mason looks to continue their success as they conclude the regular season at home in the Patriot Center celebrating Senior Night. The Patriot will be playing an incredibly crucial game for the final CAA standings against JMU. A win could give the Patriots a #6 seed in the CAA tournament which would give them the advantage of playing the latest game of the first round, thus the most time to prepare for the opening round match-up. A win over JMU and achieving a #6 seed would match the Patriots up with the #11 seed, who based on Wednesday night's results, will most likely be Georgia State whom Mason just defeated in overtime a few weeks ago. From that point on a win would move them into a match-up with the #3 seed, whom based on Wednesday's results could be either Drexel or Hofstra. Mason has played both teams only once, and has beaten Drexel in Philly (56-51) while losing to Hofstra (70-82) in Fairfax.

A win over JMU will not be easy, as the Patriot have already fallen to the Dukes on the road 45-49 in a nail-biter. A victory tomorrow over a top 4 CAA opponent is important not only for team confidence, but it can potentially give the Patriot's an easier road to the conference championship game.

Looking for another reason you may or may not want to win tomorrow?  If Mason were to lose tomorrow, get the #7 seed and still advance past the first round of the CAA tournament, they would face the #2 seed JMU Dukes guaranteed in the second round. Playing the same team twice in a matter of a 10 days can be a good or bad thing, but playing a good team like the Dukes to advance in a one-and-done tournament would most likely be a road the Patriots want to avoid.

Once Again the Patriot face-off Wednesday night at 7pm in the Patriot Center. You can tune into WGMU Radio for live coverage of the game.

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

Mason faces one of their last big games of the season, as they host Hofstra (16-7, 8-4) at home in the Patriot Center. Hofstra is currently tied for 3rd place in the CAA standings, and only 1 game behind of 2nd place James Madison. George Mason (12-11, 6-6) is currently in 5th place within the CAA, but with a win could move up to a tie for 4th. It is key for the Patriots to finish strong the last few weeks of the season because the top 4 teams in conference get a bye in the in the Quarterfinal round of the CAA tournament, as the bracket shows on the conference website. Mason will look to pounce on the Hofstra Pride, as they come in losing their last two games including a 16 point blow-out at VCU.


What to Watch For:


1) Shante Evans, Jr-Forward, Hofstra:

Shante Evans is #32 in Nation in scoring

Shante Evans has been an absolute beast outside of conference, but most importantly, even better in conference. Evans comes in averaging 18.2 points per game on the season, ranking her #32 in the nation in scoring.  Within conference games alone, she is averaging more then 19 ppg. As a junior forward, she ranks 4th in the CAA in points per game, as well as 3rd in rebounding  with 10.1 per game. Evans doesn't just shoot the ball alot, but she does it efficiently. Evans ranks 7th in the CAA shooting 49.7 % from the field, mostly down low on the blocks. Around the conference most forwards struggle with free throw shooting, but Evans ranks 15th in the CAA hitting 73.5 from the charity stripe. Evelyn Lewis will have to play superb defense  on the 6-foot tall Evans, or she will burn the Patriots all day down low either with two's down low or at the line.

 2) Limit Easy Scoring Opportunities:

#2 Candace Bond Leads CAA in steals  w/ 3,2 per game

Currently Hofstra comes into this match-up leading the CAA in scoring, even above #12 Delaware, with the Pride averaging 75.8 points per game. Hofstra is led by 3 players who are averaging more then 10 points per gam, including Shante Evans(18.2), Katelyn Loper(13.9), and Nicole Capurso(11.7). But more then balanced scoring attack of Hofstra is the tenacious defense that has lead to their 10.5 steals per game average,  which ranks them 2nd in the CAA. This is not to say that the Hofstra defense is by any means dominant, as they are giving up 71 points per game, but they are a team that looks to convert on another teams miscues. Candace Bond of Hofstra leads the CAA in steals at 3.2 per game, and with her great length at being 5'10 she is a formidable defender even when she does not get the steal. Hofstra has 3 players in the top 15 of the conference who average more then 1.5 steals per game, and Mason will need to be sure they secure the ball and not make lazy passes cross court or down low.

3) Rebound the Ball:

Rebounding is a part of Mason's game that they have struggled with during different parts of the season so far, but it will a major factor the Patriots will have to focus and hold their own against Hofstra. Hofstra leads the rebounding categories head-to-head against Mason, both offensive and defensive, coming into this game. But the specific rebound catagory Mason should focus the most attention on is the defensive end, where the Pride rank 2nd in conference hauling in 28 defensive rebounds per game compared to the Patriots' 24.9. This not might seem like a big deficit on paper, but these five extra rebounds could be five less scoring opportunities that you give to the highest scoring offense in the league in Hofstra. Amber Easter and Evelyn Lewis both rank in the top 15 in overall rebounding in the CAA with just over 6 per game, and they will have to show up and be a factor on that side of the ball in this match-up for Mason to win this game. It will be important for those two players to battle hard to box-out and try to neutralize Hoftra's double-double threat that is Shante Evans.

Tip-off is set for 2pm at the Patriot Center in Fairfax. This will be Mason's first and only match-up against Hofstra this season, making the game and the potential tie-breaker implications all the more important. You can listen to the action live her on WGMUradio.com.