March 12, 2009
Box Score
HARRISONBURG, Va. - The George Mason women's basketball team came to the JMU Convocation Center on Thursday afternoon trying to become the first 12-seed to earn a first-round victory in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship, and the Patriots nearly upset fifth-seeded UNC Wilmington before a late charge allowed the Seahawks to hold off Mason, 56-47.
The Patriots conclude their season with a 4-26 record, while the Seahawks move on to face fourth-seeded Old Dominion on Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
Mason saw two players reach double figures in scoring, led by 11 points from sophomore Brittany Poindexter. Three Seahawk (16-14) players hit double-digits, led by Brittany Blackwell's 19 points. Blackwell completed a double-double with 14 rebounds.
Mason struck first with a pair of Cox free throws at the 18:55 mark, but the Patriots were held without a field goal for the first 5:54 as the Seahawks used a 7-0 run to take control of the scoreboard early in the first half. Mason responded though, scoring five of the next six points to tie the score with 12:42 showing on the clock, as Cox laid it in to make it 8-8.
Another UNC Wilmington scoring run, though, moved the ledger in the Seahawks' favor, as UNCW scored nine straight points over 1:29 to take a 17-8 lead. Again, the Patriots found a response, using a 9-0 run to tie the game with 4:31 left in the half. The teams battled for the rest of the period, but Mason scored a Hobbs three and a Poindexter layup within a five-second span to take the lead at 24-23 with just over a minute to go. That score held up as the teams headed to the half.
Out of the break, UNCW had a strong start, scoring the first six points of the half. Mason responded once again, regaining its lead 5:23 into the period as Eley hit a 3-pointer to make it 32-31 in favor of the Green and Gold. Unlike the first half, there were few runs as the contest was air-tight, as neither team would lead by more than three points until Blackwell hit a pair from the stripe to put the Seahawks ahead, 47-43, with 3:30 to go in the game.
The teams traded baskets, but a Seahawk basket by Luksyte with 2:33 on the clock pushed the lead to six, and the Seahawks were able to hold off Mason down the stretch using a 13-2 run.
