Dec. 6, 2009

Box Score
Watch Coach Porter's Postgame Comments

PHILADELPHIA - The George Mason women's basketball team led for the majority of the first half, but Saint Joseph's used two long runs to pull away from the Patriots, 65-46, in non-conference action Sunday afternoon at Hagan Arena. The loss snapped Mason's four-game winning streak, its longest in six seasons.

The Patriots fell to 5-3 on the season, while the Hawks (3-5) ended a two-game losing streak by picking up the win. Freshman Amber Easter led the Patriots with 13 points, her fourth time this season in double figures, while junior Ashleigh Braxton added 10. SJU's offense was led by 17 points from Brittany Ford, who was one of three Hawks in double figures.

Saunders took the opening tip and scored on a fast-break layup for the game's first points, and the Patriots led from there until the 2:48 mark, when a pair of free throws by Ford knotted the score at 22. SJU's first lead came when Bryant hit a jumper 22 seconds later. The Hawk lead grew to four points, including the halftime margin of 28-24 as St. Joe's finished the half on a 10-2 run. It was the first time that Mason had trailed at half since Nov. 19 at Virginia Tech.

Amber Easter led the Patriot offense in the first half with seven points, as Mason struggled from the field shooting 29.4 percent (10-34). The Hawks, who were 10-of-19 (52.6 percent) from the field but 0-for-5 from behind the arc, got 10 points from both Bryant and Ford.

The Hawks continued their run into the second half, scoring the first seven points of the period before Mason's first field goal came on an Easter jumper at the 15:23 mark. Saint Joseph's countered with a 13-2 run to effectively put the game out of reach for Mason, which struggled from the field in the second half, shooting 25 percent (7-28).

Mason will return home next Saturday and attempt to achieve its first 6-0 start at home in school history when it hosts Howard at 3:30 p.m.