Dec. 21, 2008
Box Score
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Down by a point midway through the second half, the George Mason women's basketball team exploded for a 20-2 run to capture their first victory of the season, a 64-42 triumph over Howard University on Sunday afternoon at Burr Gymnasium.
The Patriots (1-8) took control of the game with 62.5 percent field goal shooting in the second half (15-of-24) to deny the Bison (0-9) their first win of the year. Mason saw three players score in double figures, led by 18 points from junior Rashauna Hobbs. Sophomore Eugenia Broadus tallied a double-double as she pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds to go with 16 points.
The Bison were led by 13 points and seven rebounds from Tamaya Daniels.
Howard jumped out to an early lead and held on to its advantage for the first 13 minutes of the game, until Hobbs nailed a trey and a long jumper within a 16-second span to tie the score at 10. The Patriots took their first lead of the game when sophomore Brittany Poindexter connected on a free throw attempt, and after the Bison regained the lead for a time, sophomore Brittany Eley scored two straight baskets to level the ledger at 16 as the teams headed to the half.
Both teams struggled from the field in the opening period, as the Patriots narrowly out-shot the Bison by a 27.3-to-24.0 percent margin, including a 0-for-5 performance by Howard from behind the arc. Mason connected on one of its eight tries from 3-point range (12.5 percent), and held a 23-to-17 rebounding advantage in the period.
The game shifted tempo as the second half began, as a sluggish first half gave way to a back-and-forth contest. However, Mason broke open the game for a 20-2 run to seize control. As Mason opened up a lead as large as 22 to end the game, the Patriots allowed just one Howard field goal over the final 9:40, using staunch defense to cruise to their first victory since Feb. 10, 2008.
Mason will look to make it two in a row when, following a nine-day break for the holidays, the Patriots open up a three-game homestand when they host Appalachian State on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.
