Jan. 21, 2007

Box Score

Towson, Md.--Junior forward Whitney Ward (Columbia, Md.) had a flawless showing at the line (12-of-12) in a game that had 49 combined fouls, three of which were technical, but Mason (7-10, 1-6 CAA) came up short in women's basketball action as Towson (12-5, 3-4) won by a score of 64-54 in a Colonial Athletic Association match-up Sunday afternoon at the Towson Center.

Mason's only lead of the opening half came at the 12:40 mark after junior guard C'Vette Henson (Annapolis, Md.) made a jumper off of an assist from senior forward Nikkia Slade (Yorktown, Va.) to put the score at 13-12. The Patriots knotted the game at 16 after Slade made both of her attempts at the line halfway through the first stanza, for the final tie of the first. Towson led by as much as nine (1:34) after freshman forward Kandace Davis netted a lay-up and the Tigers went into break with a 27-20 advantage.

Senior forward Tracy Ann Holness (Brooklyn, N.Y.) put the Patriots up by one (30-29) after she sank one from long range three minutes into the second half, but this would be Mason's last lead of the contest. The Patriots pulled within seven with just over a minute remaining, but the Tigers went 5-of-6 at the charity stripe to help solidify their win.

Ward ended with a career-high and team-best 17 points in just 16 minutes of action, while Holness added 11 points for the Patriots. Junior forward Moni Akintunde (Laurel, Md.) and Slade each grabbed seven rebounds to tie for a game-best. Freshman guard Rashauna Hobbs (Bowie, Md.) started her first collegiate game due to the absence of Mason's leading scorer, junior guard Lateisha Wade (Willingboro, N.J.).

The Patriots will return to action when they host Northeastern on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.