Dec. 22, 2007
Box Score
In their second overtime contest in three games, the George Mason women's basketball team opened the bonus period on a 9-2 run and held on for a 76-74 non-conference victory against Fordham University on Saturday afternoon at Patriot Center. Mason (5-4) won its second-straight game and remained undefeated at home this season, while the Rams (0-11) were unable to register their first victory of the year.
Senior forward Moni Akintunde netted 24 points, one shy of her career best, to lead all scorers with her largest offensive outburst of the season. Joining her in double figures for the Patriots were senior Lateisha Wade and sophomore Rashauna Hobbs, who each chipped in 11 points in the victory. Fordham's offense was led by freshman Megan Mahoney, who scored a season-high 22 points.
Mason opened the game at a sluggish pace, allowing Fordham to take a 6-1 lead in the first 3:07 before tying the contest up less than a minute later. The teams matched baskets for most of the first half, before a Fordham 8-0 run gave the Rams ample cushion headed into the halftime break. Mason closed the gap to 31-24 on a free throw by Wade with 44 seconds left to set the margin at the half.
The Rams took their largest lead of the game with 17:43 left in regulation, as Annie Zopf drained two free throws to give Fordham a 38-28 advantage. Mason responded with a 14-0 run to take its first lead since the opening seconds of the contest, capped off by freshman Eugenia Broadus's layup. Again, the contest remained close, with Akintunde's layup at the 1:16 mark giving Mason its largest lead up to that point at 65-59. Fordham closed the gap with six unanswered points, tying the game on a Kassie Humphries three-pointer, her first attempt from long range of the season. Akintunde had a shot to end the game in regulation, but her jumper with three seconds left was off the mark.
In the overtime period, the teams traded points before a 7-0 Mason run opened up the contest. However, Fordham again responded with a run of its own, tying the game on a Mahoney layup with 16 seconds left. Moving the ball down the court, Hobbs found Wade standing alone on the right side of the lane, and the senior from Willingboro, N.J., delivered the game-ending blow as her layup fell through the net with 0.8 seconds showing on the clock.
Mason will break for the holidays and return to the court at Patriot Center on Sunday, December 30, against the Winthrop Eagles. The contest, which will be televised live on Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), is set for 1:30 p.m.
