Feb. 23, 2003

Box Score

NORFOLK, VA...The Old Dominion women's basketball team defeated Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) foe George Mason 70-60 in a Sunday afternoon matinee contest at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

The victory was ODU's third in a row as they improved their conference record to 11-3 and overall mark to 14-10. The loss drops the Patriots to 10-11 overall and 7-7 in the CAA.

ODU's Monique Coker recorded her sixth double-double of the year with 16 points and career-high 16 rebounds, while Okeisha Howard lead all scorers with 19 points and had six assists. Max Nhassengo was the third Old Dominion player in double figures, coming off the Lady Monarch bench to score 10.

The Patriots were led by Vernessa Neamo who scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed six rebounds. Jen Derevjanik added 17 points Mason, while Khalilah Smith had a team-high seven rebounds and Jen Daniels added four assists.

The Lady Monarchs took a 36-27 lead into the locker room at halftime, going up by as many as 13 late in the half. George Mason pulled within two on a Derevjanik runner with 7:32 left in the half, but from there the Lady Monarchs went on a 13-2 run to increase their advantage to 36-23. Derevjanik then scored four straight points at the end of the half to decrease ODU's lead to nine at the break.

The Lady Monarchs continued to roll in the second half, going on an 11-2 run in the first 4:43 of play. Spence's lay-up with 15:52 on the clock gave the Lady Monarchs its largest lead of the game, an 18-point 47-29 edge. Old Dominion maintained a double figure lead until Derevjanik sunk her only three-pointer of the afternoon with less than a minute remaining to pull the Patriots within nine, 66-57. Neamo cut the George Mason deficit to six, 66-60, in the closing moments, but free throws sealed the victory for the Lady Monarchs.

Old Dominion shot 44 percent from the field, going 25-of-57, while George Mason shot 35 percent connecting on 24-of-68. The Lady Monarchs also outrebounded their opponent, 50-34, their largest rebounding margin of the year.

Mason travels to William & Mary Thursday for a 7 p.m. game.