Dec. 8, 2006

Box Score

Washington, D.C - Mason's women's basketball team (4-2) extended its win streak to four after defeating American University (3-7) by a score of 60-53 at Bender Arena in Washington, D.C. Friday evening. This is the first time since the 2003-04 season in which the Patriots have won four-straight games.

Mason took an eight point lead after junior guard C'Vette Henson (Annapolis, Md.) made a lay-up to put the score at 18-10 at the 9:22 mark. The Patriots kept AU scoreless for six minutes before AU sophomore guard Pam Stanfield made a lay-up at the 5:14 mark to snap the scoring drought to put the score at 18-12, with the Patriots still in the lead.

The first point for Mason in just over four minutes (5:01) was a made free throw from junior forward Whitney Ward (Columbia, Md.) and she made her second attempt to put the score at 20-14 in favor of the Patriots. Ward then netted one of Mason's four treys of the first stanza at the 2:47 mark to have the scoreboard read, 23-16. The last bucket of the first 20 minutes came from Mason senior forward Tracy Ann Holness (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who poured one in from long range to put Mason ahead by eight points (26-18) at the break.

The Patriots scored the first two buckets of the second half with Holness netting a jumper and junior guard Casey Quigley (Springfield, Va.) pouring in a trifecta to put the score at 31-18 at the 17:47 mark. In a two-minute span, AU made six of eight attempts at the charity stripe (45-34) and then the Eagles went on a 11-2 scoring run to pull within two, 47-45, with just over five minutes remaining in the game. AU then evened the score at 47 after sophomore guard Talicia Jackson made both of her attempts at the line with 5:21 remaining on the clock.

Holness scored Mason's first points in five minutes as she made one from long range to give Mason a 3-point advantage at 4:37. After a team turnover by the Eagles, the Patriots took it down the court and Quigley was fouled who made the first of two attempts at the line to put the score at 51-47.

The Eagles pulled within three after Jackson notched two at the charity stripe (56-53) and sophomore guard Nicole Ryan attempted to tie the game, but missed her 3-point attempt. Junior guard Lateisha Wade (Willingboro, N.J.), who netted a game-high 18 points, grabbed the rebound and was fouled on the play and sank both free throws. Quigley helped seal the victory as she was perfect at the line (2-of-2) with one second left in the game to give Mason a 60-53 win.

Sophomore center Jessica Smith (Dartmouth, Mass.) mirrored her career-high of 10 rebounds, which was also a game-best, while Holness and Quigley each scored in double figures with 16 and 11, respectively.

The Patriots shot 40 percent on the night (20-of-50), while AU was 18-of-56 from the field (32 percent). Both teams were fairly even at the line as Mason shot 77 percent to the Eagles' 74 percent. AU outrebounded Mason, 42-31, whiole the Patriots dished out 12 assists to AU's eight.

Mason will return to action when the Patriots host Georgia on Dec. 20 at the Patriot Center with tip-off slated for 7 p.m.