Dec. 30, 2007

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - Senior Lateisha Wade poured in a career-high 27 points to lead the George Mason women's basketball team to its fifth-straight home victory in as many tries, a 67-56 non-conference victory over Winthrop on Saturday at Patriot Center. Mason improved to 6-4, and became the first Patriot team to open a season 5-0 at home in the program's history. Winthrop fell to 8-5 in the two schools' first matchup in 14 years.

Wade, who led all scorers on a day in which she swiped a career-high six steals, was joined in double figures by classmate Casey Quigley, who chipped in 10 points in her first start since November 21. Off the glass, freshman Brittany Poindexter registered seven rebounds as the Patriots outrebounded the Eagles, 34-31. Winthrop's offense was led by Jennifer Walker, who scored 14 points on 6-for-7 field goal shooting.

Mason faced its largest deficit at 10-6, but broke open the game with a 14-3 scoring spree, capped off by a Chynelle Rogers jumper which set the score at 20-13 with nine minutes left in the first half. Mason would never trail again in the game, out-scoring Winthrop 12-6 in the final five minutes of the opening stanza. In the half, Mason shot 50 percent from the field (13-26), its highest first-half total of the season, and went into the break with its largest halftime lead of the season at 35-24.

The spirited Mason effort continued following the intermission, as the Patriots opened the second period on a 9-2 run which culminated with a Eugenia Broadus layup to give Mason its largest lead of the game at 48-30. Winthrop could advance no closer than nine points in the period as the Patriots cruised to their third-straight victory.

Mason will look to run its season-opening home win streak to six when it opens Colonial Athletic Association play on January 6 against Delaware. Tip-off from Patriot Center is set for 2 p.m.