Jan. 21, 2005

George Mason (7-8, 3-3 CAA) vs. Virginia Commonwealth (5-10, 1-5)
January 23, 2005; 2 p.m.
Patriot Center (Fairfax, Va.)

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Series Record The Patriots hold a 24-18 advantage against Virginia Commonwealth in the overall series. Mason is 11-8 when facing the Rams on the road and the Patriots hold an 11-9 mark when squaring-off in Fairfax. These two teams have met on neutral ground three times and Mason leads, 2-1. Mason collected three wins against the Rams last season, including an 80-60 win at the Patriot Center on Feb. 12.

Mason has won six out of the past seven meetings against the Rams with the Patriots last victory coming in the semifinals of the conference tournament last year. Mason defeated VCU by a score of 73-59 on Mar. 12 in Norfolk, Va. to advance to the CAA Championship game.

Last Time On the Court Senior guard Lauren Hediger scored 15 points and George Mason overcame a four-point halftime deficit as the Patriots defeated UNC Wilmington, 59-53, in Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball action on Jan. 20 at Trask Coliseum.

Joining Hediger in double figures was junior guard Jen Daniels with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the 3-point line. Senior center Julie Flanders and freshman forward Keyhana Wakefield added nine points apiece. Flanders added four steals as the Patriots totaled 10 swipes on the evening.

UNCW freshman forward Meagan Samis held game-high honors with 18 points, while sophomore guard Denise Lawrence posted a career-high with six assists. Freshman guard Meg Withrow chipped in 14 points, while senior center Tanika Harrison added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Seahawks.

Trailing 29-20 with 1:56 left in the first half, the Patriots scored seven of the last nine points to close out the half and narrow their deficit to 31-27. Daniels' 3-pointer highlighted the outburst and Wakefield capped it off with a pair of baskets in the closing minutes.

Mason opened the second half with another 7-2 blitz to take a 34-33 lead on Flanders' second basket of the spurt as she fueled the run with six points. Samis answered with a layup at 16:45 to restore UNCW's lead, but another short jumper by Flanders ignited a 9-0 Mason run for the Patriots to take a 43-35 lead with 12 minutes remaining in the contest.

The Patriots turned up the defensive pressure in the second half limiting the Seahawks to 33.3 percent shooting from the field and forcing 10 turnovers that led to 11 points.

UNCW rallied late with a 9-0 run of its own to move to within two, 53-51, with 34 seconds remaining. Hediger and Wakefield combined to knock down all six free throw attempts in the final 20 seconds to secure the win for Mason.

Fielding a New High The Patriots garnered their highest field goal percentage of the season at UNCW as Mason shot 21-47 (.477) in its third CAA win of the 2003-04 campaign.

VCU's Numbers Virginia Commonwealth heads into today's contest on a three-game losing streak and holds a 1-4 record in the past five games. The Rams are 5-10 overall (1-5 CAA) and hold a 1-5 mark when playing away from their home court. Senior forward Lauren Hogan leads the Rams in both points per game and rebounds per game with 11.3 and 9.1, respectively.

Perfect! Sophomore forward Kristin Higy was perfect from the field (4-4) against UNCW, while senior guard Lauren Hediger did not miss at the line (6-6) on Jan. 20.

Stealing Away Senior center Julie Flanders mimicked her personal best of four steals in Mason's 59-53 win over UNCW on Jan. 20.

January Farewell Mason's game against Virginia Commonwealth marks the Patriots final home game for the month of January this season. Since becoming a member of the CAA (1985-86), Mason holds a 9-10 overall record in its last home game in January.

Tied For Second George Mason senior center Julie Flanders and VCU's Hogan are tied for second in the CAA in rebounds per game (9.1).

Extra Time After Mason's 50-48 overtime win against James Madison on Jan. 14, the Patriots are now 13-15 all-time in overtime games since competing at the Division I level (1982-83). While playing on their own court, the Patriots are 6-6 at home when the contest goes into extra minutes. In addition, head coach Debbie Taneyhill owns a 6-5 mark in overtime games while at the helm of the Patriot program.

Eighty or More Mason's 81 points on Jan. 9 against William & Mary marked the first time since Mar. 13, 2004 in which the Patriots scored 80 or more points. On that day, Mason fell to Old Dominion by a score of 85-81 in the CAA Championship game in Norfolk, Va.

Eight is Great! The Patriots held Miami to just eight points in the first half on Nov. 30, which is tied for second in the NCAA Division I record books for fewest points scored by one team in a single half. Florida State set the standard as the Seminoles led Savannah State by a score of 54-3 at the break on Nov. 23, 2003.

Playing Professionally Former Mason standout Jen Derevjanik became just the second Patriot to play in the WNBA as she was on the Connecticut Sun's roster for the 2004 season, which made it to the 2004 WNBA Finals. Another senior from last year's team also extended her playing career as Osato Edobor-Osula is playing with Germany. In addition, Vernessa Neamo (2000-04) plays for the NWBL's Birmingham Power.

Playing Host For the first time in school history, George Mason will host the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament which will be held from Mar. 9-12 at the Patriot Center. For the past five years, the tournament has been held in Norfolk, Va. and the closest it has been to Fairfax is when American hosted in 1987.