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).

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!

Mason Gets Pecked by the Blue Hens 53-71, Look to Herd the Rams of VCU

The #8 Delaware Blue Hen's (25-1) were not only one of the hottest teams coming into the match-up against George Mason (13-14) on Thursday, but were one of the hottest teams in the entire nation. Delaware made sure that Mason would not be the team to derail them from their current 15 game winning streak, beating the Patriots 71-53 in Newark. Currently the Blue Hen's are defeating their opponents by an average of 16.2 ppg through the last 5 contests.

Donne Leads NCAA in Scoring

This second meeting between the Blue Hen's and the Patriots was reminiscent of the first match-up, in that no one could stop Delaware's dynamic scorer Elena Delle Donne. Delaware's Della Donne, the multi-sport ex-Connecticut Huskie recruit, reached her NCAA leading scoring average when she dropped 28 points along with 11 rebounds on the Patriots Thursday night. Taleia Moton did her best to keep the Patriots on pace with the offensive output of Delaware, as she contributed 18 points in the game, but only shot 35% from the field on the night.

The rest of the four Mason starters went 9 of 33 from the field for a dismal 27.7% shooting percentage for the game. Coming into the game Mason knew that Delle Donne was going to get her points, but it would be important to make her work for them and to neutralize her teammate's contributions. Unfortunately the Patriots weren't able to do this, allowing Delaware to shoot 49% for the game, with Danielle Parker compiling a double-double(14 pts, 12 rbs) and Lauren Carra scoring 11 points along with 7 rebounds.

For games that Mason have won this season, the production of Janaa Pickard and Amber Easter have been key to accompanying Taleia Moton's steady performances over the season. Since the game that the Patriots played the Hofstra Pride on February 12th, in which Pickard had 17 and 10 while Easter had 19 and 11, neither of these players have had a double-digit scoring output since. Against Delaware, the duo of Pickard and Easter combined only for 13 points on 5 of 21 shooting from the field. This recipe of poor shooting from the starters, and the lack of defense overall, is what ultimately lead to the blow-out victory for Delaware.

Tharrington had 10 pts vs UD

The bright spot of the night was the performance of the Patriot's transfer-junior forward Joyous Tharrington, who had one of her best performances of the season. All year long in limited time she has shown the skill to score, but has never been given a full-time opportunity. On Thursday though, Tharrington played 26 minutes while scoring 10 points on 5 of 9 shooting and hauling in 6 rebounds. It was encouraging to see her get meaningful minutes in a important game, while shooting the ball efficiently. This is something that Coach Porter can build upon going into the CAA tournament and onto next season, knowing that Tharrington in able and ready to step her game up to playing big time minute productively.

 Hurt ranks 1st in Rebounds in NCAA

Up next for the Patriots is their final road game of the season at rival VCU.  The Patriots again must go up against not only one of the best players in the CAA, but one of the best in the entire NCAA. VCU's forward Courtney Hurt is currently ranked 9th in scoring (21.9 ppg) and 1st in rebounding (13.1 rpg)  in the NCAA.

In Mason's first match-up at home this season against the Rams, Evelyn Lewis and the rest of the forwards were able to effectivly contain Courtney Hurt to only 5 total rebounds and only 17 points (7 of 17) in 39 minutes of court time. In the similar case of Delle Donne, Courtney Hurt is going to score her points. But Mason in the first match-up, clearly made it difficult for her to score limiting her to only 41% shooting and close to a season low in rebounds. This led to a Mason win against the Rams by 13 points.

But this was almost 5 weeks ago and this time the Patriots are on the road where they have only won 3 games all season. The Patriots will need to apply the same principles they did the first time around with tough pressure form Evelyn Lewis down low and a balanced scoring attack of Pickard, Easter, and Moton.

Tip-off is set for 2pm today, Sunday the 26th in Richmond.

Moton set the single season scoring record vs UD

We also want to recognize that Taleia Moton broke the single-season scoring record during Thursday game against Delaware. The previous scoring mark for George Mason women's basketball was 549 points set by Keri Chaconas in the 95-96' season. With Moton's 18 points against Delaware, she has now set the new single-season mark at 565 and will look to add to it Sunday against VCU. Taleia is currently the nation's 12th ranked scorer with 21 ppg. Congrats Taleia!

Two Overtimes, Two Different Results for George Mason

For the first time since the 1994-95 season, the George Mason Patriots participated in back to back overtime games. Mason split the two contests, first losing to Towson on Thursday 70-68, then beating Georgia State by the same score on Sunday: 70-68. The victory brought Mason to 7-8 in the CAA and 13-13 overall with three very tough games ahead: at Deleware, at VCU, and finally at home hosting JMU.

Thursday's game found Mason on the wrong end of a hot Tigers team, with Towson looking for their fourth straight victory. The Patriots started off slow, with two turnovers and a missed layup, before finding their groove with a Rahneeka Saunders jumper. Mason struggled with their turnovers throughout the game, finishing with 18. Christine Weithman gave the Patriots their first lead, 19-16, of the ball game with a three-ball with 8:54 left in the first half. Weithman finished with 9 points, hitting 3 of 3 from downtown. 


Mason went on a 6-0 run to end the first half to give themselves a 34-30 lead at the break. Towson shot 36% from the floor in the first half (12-33), while Mason shot 47% (11-23). The Patriots kept things rolling in the second half, pushing their lead to 42-32 with an Amber Easter jumper. Suddenly something clicked in the Tigers, as they went on a 19-6 run over the next seven minutes to take back the lead 51-48 with 5:36 left in regulation. Towson was paced by the play of Krystal Parnell who finished with 18 points and 6 assists. Also vital for the Tigers offense was guard Tanisha McTiller, who had 16 points and 4 rebounds. 

The teams finished 59-59 to end regulation, and traded baskets throughout the first few minutes of the overtime period. Trailing by two, Evelyn Lewis hit a turn-around lay-up to knot the score up at 68 with 1:31 left.Mason's poor handling of the basketball ending up looming large, as a Mason turnover with 13 seconds left gave Towson the ball and the final possession. Sheree Ledbetter put back a missed Parnall jumper with two seconds left to give the Tigers their 70-68 victory. Evelyn Lewis and and Taleia Moton had 15 points apiece to lead the Patriots. Amber Easter added 9 points and 6 rebounds.

George Mason found themselves in a very similar game on Sunday against Georgia State at home. Another signature slow start for the Patriots was ended by a 10-0 run to give Mason the 16-6 advantage with 6:22 left in the first half. Taleia Moton and company pushed the lead up to 28-18 at the end of one half to play. Moton finished with a game-high 31 points. Georgia State's leading scorer was Cody Paulk, who had 18 points and 7 rebounds. 

The Panthers took advantage of Mason turnovers to start the second half, cutting the score to 30-28 with with 18:13 left in regulation. Georgia State slowly worked up a lead, overtaking the Patriots 47-42 with 8:47 after two buckets from Paulk. Two free-throws from Moton tied things at 57-57 at the end of regulation. Taleia proved yet again her dominance, hitting the clutch free throws to give Mason the win with .1 seconds left. This was the 6th game this season in which Moton scored 30+ points. 

Mason heads to Deleware on Thursday for a 7 pm tipoff. 

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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!

Keith's Keys to the Game: Mason vs. Ohio

Mason is on the road Thursday to battle against the Bearcats of Ohio University. The Bearcats(6-7), come into tonight's game having alternated wins and losses in their past 4 games (2-2). Mason on the other hand, comes in having snapped a two game losing streak against GW last week, improving to 7-3 overall.

What to Watch For:  1) Home Atmosphere: Ohio comes in with a below average  record on the year so far, but the Bearcats have been strong at home in Athens. Five of their six wins this season have come at home, and by an average margin of victory of 14.8 points per game. It will be important for Mason to come out hot on the road, and not to be rattled in a hostile arena and on along road trip. In the past Mason has struggled on the road, but so far in 3 contests,  the Patriots have come away victorious in 2 of them.

2) Getting to the Free Throw Line: Mason this year has struggled to get to the  foul stripe, and are not getting the easy opportunities/cashing in on easy chances for points. On the season Mason is only getting to the line and making 11.7 FT's per game, and only as a team  hitting FT's at 66%.  Ohio on the other hand averages 14.6  made free throw attempts per game, and is hitting 71% as a team from the stripe. In Mason's last game against GW, in which they got to the line 27 times, they allowed the Colonials to claw back from a 16 point deficit because of their inability to shoot free throws in the second half. The Patriots went 7 of 17 from the FT line in the second half,and it almost cost them the game down the stretch. I see this being very important in this game, as well as a key in whether Mason is able to ice games away in the future or if it will be plagued by dismal free throw shooting all season long. Players like Rahneeka Saunders (54% FT) and Evelyn Lewis (22 % FT) who routinely get to the line because of the way they drive the ball down low, need to step their game up in big road games such as this one.

3) Rebounds--Offensive: In the Ohio Bearcats 7 losses this season, almost all of them have been in some way related to their lack of rebounding, and the rebounding deficit in most cases reflected the margin of defeat. It will be important for Mason to dominate the boards much like they did against GW, where they had +17 rebounding margin and four players with 7 or more rebounds. This intensity on the glass will lead to the easy second chance points Mason was able to get against the Colonials, and should be something they should try to exploit against a Ohio , team that seems to let down in the second half. Ohio is being outscored by a total of forty-four  points(-44) in the second half on the season thus far, while Mason is +27 in the same category. Mason will have to be on the look out for Ohio's Tenishia Benson, who averages over 7 rebounds and 13 PPG as a guard, and will be looking to improve their rebounding output to ensure a victory got the Bearcats.

Tune in to the GoMason Digital Network on WGMURadio.com to listen to the latest action on Mason women's basketball. Tip-off is slated for 7 pm at the Convocation Center in Athens,Ohio. Mason won last years first ever meeting between the two schools 69-53 at the Patriot Center.

Keith's Keys to the Game: Mason vs. GW

Coming into what is being called the "Battle of the Orange Line", because of the general proximity of the two schools, both teams are in the midst of two game losing streaks. Both have played a familiar opponent in ODU,  by which it took the George Washington Colonials overtime to defeat the Monarchs by 6,  and Mason was able to take care of them in regulation by a 16 victory. GW finds themselves at .500 with a 5-5 record, and Mason is currently at 6-3 but trying to rebound off a blowout loss against #5 Maryland.

Keys to the Game:

1) DEFENSE: Both GW and Mason average 61 and 63 points per game respectively, so scoring should not be an issue for either squad. In all 3 of Mason's losses this season, there had been a complete breakdown of interior defense that has lead to easy baskets in the paint for their opponents. Mason has also had an issue in guarding the perimeter at times, and will have to be sure to defend the 3-point arc where GW averages 4.5 outside knockdowns per game. GW also comes into the game averaging 10 or more steals per game, where as Mason only gets close to around 6. It will be important for Mason to keep possession, and not be sloppy with the basketball and give the Colonials easy baskets. Look for Taleia Moton and Rahneeka Saunders to do more of the ball handling, and try to limit the amount of turnovers.

2) INTERIOR PLAY: Mason has struggled through out the entire season to get any scoring from their starting forwards Evelyn Lewis and Janaa Pickard. But Pickard has in the last few games started to get in a rhythm, and is averaging just around 9 ppg. Evelyn Lewis on the other hand has somewhat digressed in her starting role, only offering up just over 3 points per game in close to 25 minutes of court time. This has put a lot of pressure on the guards, especially on Taleia Moton, to burden a majority of the scoring load. This load has certainly slowed down Moton, who recently seems to be forcing shots, and no doubt has had a negative affect on her recent performance.  Her scoring averages, 9 points against UMBC( 1 of 9) and 16 points ( 6 of 17) against UMD, plainly show that if she struggles so does Mason. Mason needs to have a good offensive output by both Lewis and Pickard to force the GW defense to respect the interior shot, and open up the outside play to players like Amber Easter and Saunders to drive or shot.

3) REBOUNDS: Even though Mason is only being out rebounded on the stat sheet by an average of 1 total rebound per game by GW, this has been a ongoing problem that has helped lead to the recent negative results. On no team should a 5'6 guard, in Mason's case the hard working Rahneeka Saunders, be out-rebounding the 6'3, 6'1, and 6'0 starting forwards on the team. Saunders averages just around 6 rebounds a game. In watching the most recent Maryland game, Mason was dominated 33- 59 on the boards, and where the Terps on several occasions were able to get not one but sometimes 3 consecutive shots up before it finally rolled in with no Patriot snagging a rebound.  And in the the loss the UMBC where Mason was out rebounded by 3, the game was a 4 point contest up until the final two minutes. And then under 2 minutes, UMBC would miss a shot but put back a offensive rebound and to go up 6, and Mason would never get close again. This show how important it is for the forwards, especially  6'3 Evelyn Lewis, to use her size and snag more offensive boards for easy put backs. Rebounds will be a extremely key stat for this game.

Tip for the "Battle of the Orange Line" is at 3 p.m. against GW. Tune in to WgmuRadio.com for online listen, or join us at home at the Patriot Center for all the action.

Mason Gets Shell-Shocked, Loses to #4 Maryland 50-78

For the first few minutes of the game their was hope that this was the Mason team that could be a big time contender, both in and out of the CAA, but against #4 Maryland that was not the case.

Mason(6-3) was able to stay with #4 Maryland(11-0) for the first 5 minutes or so but then the Terps, lead by their preseason Wooden-Top 30 player nominee Alyssa Thomas and Lynetta Kizer,  surged to a 35-13 margin with just over 5 minutes remaining. The sophomore Thomas would lead Maryland with 18 points on 7-13 shooting for the day. She was an unstoppable force and really showed the weakness of the Mason defense through out the season so far, down low in the trenches.

Almost at will and in transition Maryland was able to out-run the Mason defense and pound the ball inside for easy baskets. Time after time Mason would miss a shot, and Maryland would then beat every player on the Patriots squad  up the court. Maryland look like a much faster, stronger, and more fierce team on the afternoon. Even when up by 20+ points, the Terps continued to push the ball up the court and slam the ball down the Mason defense's throat. No matter half court or transition sets, Mason was not able to decipher the Terps offensive attack or find a way to slow it down.

On the night for Mason, Taleia Moton lead with 16 points on 6 of 17 shots. The only other Mason player  in double digits was Janaa Pickard with 12. Evelyn Lewis was made totally ineffective by the Maryland defense, who were able to force bad shots without getting fouls called. Lewis went 0 for 6  from the field with ZERO points. Mason was only able to get to the foul line 10 times the whole game, 3 times in the first half, but on the flip side shot 100% from the stripe.

On the faces of the Mason players, you could see the look of frustration as shots weren't dropping and fouls weren't being called. But overall this is why Maryland was #4 in the country, and they looked and played like it.

My final analysis came when Mason was down by  36 points  with just over 2 minutes to go. I started to keep fresh scorecard  for the final 2 minutes to see if Mason continued to play hard to cut down the lead  into the 20's.  A blowout loss will show the character of a team, and show the chemistry of a squad and its coaching staff. Maryland had in their last game blown out a opponent by 70 points, so it would be Mason's job to play with heart or crumble under the weight of competition.

 Fortunately for Mason fans, the Patriots showed they have a lot of heart. The Patriots would finish the last two minuets on a 11-1 run and  even with some of the Terps starters out,  they still showed great defense and were able to cut the deficit to the 20's.

Mason(6-3) is on its first losing streak of the season, having lost two in a row. They will look to break the streak on Thursday January 22nd against GW at the Patriot Center. Tip is at 3 pm and can you can listen live at wgmuradio.com.

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

What We Learned: Regular Season Opener Versus American

Match-up: GMU vs American

Final: 51-55 L

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

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

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

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

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