Nov. 14, 2006

Box Score

Fairfax, Va.--Despite being ahead by 10 points at the break, George Mason University's women's basketball team (0-2) opened up its 2006-07 home campaign with a loss to Liberty (2-0) Tuesday evening at the Patriot Center by a score of 61-56.

About five minutes into the game, Mason junior guard Lateisha Wade (Willingboro, N.J.), who led the Patriots with 10 points, stole the ball away from Liberty junior guard Allyson Fasnacht and then dished out a pass to junior forward Moni Akintunde (Laurel, Md.) who made a lay-up and was then fouled. Akintunde missed her attempt from the line, but senior guard Nikkia Slade (Yorktown, Va.) snatched the rebound and was fouled on the play. Slade made both of her attempts at the charity stripe to pull the Patriots within one point, 9-8.

At the 11 minute mark, junior guard C'Vette Henson's (Annapolis, Md.) two-pointer in the paint was good, which gave the Patriots their first lead of the game with a 16-15 advantage.

Mason netted three consecutive treys, two total from senior forward Tracy Ann Holness (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and one from Henson to put Mason ahead by eight (33-25) with four minutes remaining in the half. After exchanging two made free throws from each team, Henson poured in another trey with five seconds remaining to send Mason into halftime with a 38-29 advantage over the Lady Flames.

The Patriots had their largest lead of 11 two minutes into the half (43-32) after sophomore center Jessica Smith (Dartmouth, Mass.) netted two of her seven points. Liberty regained its lead with five minutes to go (53-52), which was the first point advantage for the Lady Flames since the eight-minute mark in the first half.

Akintunde knotted the score at 53 (4:52) after making one of her two free throws, but Mason would not get any closer as Liberty went 4-of-4 from the line in the last two minutes to help secure the win.

Mason shot 20-of-56 from the field (36 percent), while the Lady Flames shot 45 percent on the night. The Patriots had a slight advantage on the boards, 36-34, and also tallied 10 steals to the Liberty's five.

The Patriots will return to action on Nov. 28 when Mason travels to Washington, D.C. to face Howard at 7 p.m.