Jan. 12, 2003
Box Score
FAIRFAX, VA, ... Old Dominion opened the second half with a 28-13 run to take control of the game and defeat George Mason, 73-69, in a Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball game before 2,771 Sunday afternoon at the Patriot Center.
The crowd was the third largest to see a women's basketball game in Patriot Center history. Old Dominion won for the fifth time in its last six games to improve to 6-5 overall, 3-0 in the CAA, while George Mason snapped a two-game win streak as it slipped to 5-5 overall, 2-1 in the CAA.
Junior Monique Coker scored a career-high 24 points and added 14 rebounds for her third double-double of the season to lead the Lady Monarchs. Senior Kim Giddens added 14 points and seven rebounds, senior Okeisha Howard had 12 points and junior Myriah Spence added 11 points off the bench.
Senior Shelbylynn McBride came off the bench to contribute a season-high 17 points for the Patriots. McBride shared team-high scoring honors with junior Jen Derevjanik. Sophomore Laura Kooij, who hit five three-point baskets, added 15 points in a reserve role.
George Mason held a 31-27 lead at intermission and pushed the margin to six as junior Susan Otim hit a short jumper to open the second half, but Old Dominion went on a 19-5 run, fueled by six points from Giddens, to take a 46-38 lead with 12:03 to play. After four straight Patriot points, the Lady Monarchs went on another 9-2 run (four points from Giddens) to take its biggest lead at 55-44 with 8:47 remaining.
Mason began to rally and used a 9-4 run, including two three-pointers by Kooij, to close within 69-66 with 1:31 to play, but Old Dominion hit four free throws down the stretch to clinch the victory.
The Lady Monarchs used a 9-2 run early in the first half to take a 13-8 lead, but Mason went on a 19-4 run (McBride scored 11 during that stretch) for its biggest lead of the contest at 27-17 with 5:57 left in the period. Old Dominion scored the next seven points to close the gap, but the Patriots held on to a four-point advantage at halftime.
George Mason concludes a six-game home stand Thursday as it hosts Drexel at 7 p.m.
