Jan. 24, 2010
Box Score
Watch Coach Porter's Postgame Comments
FAIRFAX, Va. - Junior Brittany Eley fell two points short of her career high with a team-best 18 points, but the George Mason women's basketball team could not escape an early hole as the William & Mary Tribe defeated the Patriots, 69-55, in Colonial Athletic Association action Sunday afternoon before 1,559 fans at Patriot Center.
Mason fell to 8-10 and 1-6 in CAA play as it suffered only its second loss at home this season, while the Tribe improved to 10-8 and 3-4 in conference play.
Eley was joined in double digits by classmate Brittany Poindexter who scored 11. Four W&M players hit double figures, led by 20 points from Taysha Pye.
The Patriots scored the opening basket on a 3-pointer by Amber Easter but the immediate concern came at the 15:50 mark when Ashleigh Braxton was fouled on as she took a finger to the eye. The game was delayed several minutes as Braxton received treatment and as a precaution was taken to a local hospital.
Once action resumed, the Tribe continued upon a 14-0 run. Eley hit a jumper to stop the run and end a span of more than six minutes without a Patriot score. W&M continued to lead throughout the period, but a 7-2 Mason run closed the gap to 26-19 with four minutes left. That would be as close as the Patriots got in the first half, as William & Mary took a 35-25 lead into the locker room.
Mason came out with the hot hand in the second half, scoring the first six points to cut the gap to 35-31, but W&M answered with six of its own to make the deficit double-digits once again. It would stay there for the remainder of the afternoon, as the Tribe would control the boards while the Patriots' offense was unable to find much success from the field.
For the game, W&M out-rebounded Mason by a 54-to-35 margin, including a 22-16 lead offensively. The Tribe out-shot the Patriots from the field by a 42.4-to-28.6 percent margin as well.
The Patriots are back in action at home on Thursday night, hosting Georgia State for a 7 p.m. contest.
