George Mason University Athletics

Women's Basketball Drops Decision at William and Mary, 69-57

George Mason Athletics Women's Basketball 1/23/2011 4:35:00 PM

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Amber Easter recorded her second double-double of the season behind a trio of Patriots reaching double-figures, but George Mason could not overcome William and Mary as the Tribe took away a 69-57 victory Sunday afternoon in Kaplan Arena. Mason dipped to 8-10 overall and 2-5 in Colonial Athletic Association play, while William and Mary improved to 2-15 and 1-6.

Mason received key performances from Easter, Taleia Moton and Brittany Poindexter all contributing 13 points, but the Tribe took advantage of Mason's errors, converting 21 Patriot turnovers into 27 points for a difference in the game. William and Mary also used a 77.8 percent free throw performance hitting 21-of-27 free throws to seal the win. Mason was 10-of-14 at the charity stripe.

Easter picked up her second double-double of the season leading the way on the boards with 10 for Mason who narrowly lost the rebounding battle, 36-34. William and Mary was led in scoring by Taysha Pye who drained 25 points, 19 coming in the final 20 minutes. Emily Correal and Katherine DeHenzel each contributed double-figure numbers with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Mason used a 14.3 percent shooting efficiency from William and Mary through the first media timeout to pull out with a 6-3 lead through the 15:57 mark to open the ballgame. The Tribe knotted the score at 12-all on their second trip to the charity stripe before the Patriots answered with a 7-0 run capped with a trey from Brittany Eley to hand Mason a 19-12 lead with 10:01 to play in the first. Tides turned, however, as William and Mary closed the final 5:53 of the opening half on a 16-5 run to take a 30-26 lead into the locker room. Poindexter reached double-digits within the first half, scoring 10 points for the Patriots.

The Patriots reclaimed the lead opening the second half using an 11-5 run, but the Tribe held strong tying the score at 37-37 on the next possession. William and Mary continued its offensive effort and put together an 11-2 spurt to take a nine-point lead, 48-39, by the second media timeout at 11:45. Pye erupted in the second half, draining 15 points through the third media to give William and Mary a 13-point lead at 54-41. Easter cut the deficit to single digits with a pair of free throws at 7:08, but that would be the closest the Patriots would come as William and Mary sealed its first conference win of the season by a 69-57 margin.

Mason continues this three-game road swing with a CAA contest at Delaware on Thursday, January 27. Tip in Newark, Del. is slated for 7 p.m.

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