UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - Brittany Eley hit a layup with 7.9 seconds left in the game to bring No. 8-seeded George Mason to within two points at 66-64, but Angelique Burtts connected on a pair of free throws with seven seconds as No.9-seed Georgia State escaped with a 68-64 first round victory at the 2011 CAA Championships. The 2011 CAA Championship was held in The Show Place Arena. Mason finished the season with a 13-17 overall mark.
Taleia Moton scored 15 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 19 and was one of three Patriots with double-figure scoring performances. Brittany Poindexter and Rahneeka Saunders each added 11 to the board for Mason. Angelee LaTouche paced the Patriots on the glass securing 10 rebounds as Mason lost the rebounding battle 48-41.
Burtts finished with a double-double to lead the way for the Panthers with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Traci Haltiwanger and Tiffany Anderson added a combined 24 points to help GSU to the win.
Georgia State held Mason to a 25.0 shooting percentage in the first half while climbing out to a 38-26 halftime advantage. The Panthers took the lead early and never relinquished control through the opening 20 minutes. Mason cut the score to a one-point ballgame on three occasions, but could never reclaim the lead. GSU used an 11-0 run at the 10:00 mark to break open its first double-digit advantage, 29-19 before the Patriots responded with a 7-0 run of their own slicing the score to 31-26. Georgia State closed the final three minutes with seven unanswered points including a three-pointer from Kendra Long with 19 seconds on the clock for the halftime advantage.
Mason cut the score to single digits on several occasions in the second half, but could not overcome a strong first half from the Panthers. Moton put together a 7-0 run midway through the final 20 minutes bringing Mason to within five points at 49-44 with 10:07 to play. GSU responded pushing its lead back to 10 points hitting a triple and jumper immediately. Mason trimmed its deficit to seven points twice before surging with its late charge.
At the 3:03 mark, Moton hit a jumper which sparked an 8-0 Mason run over the next two and a half minutes, setting the stage for a 64-62 ballgame with 42 seconds on the clock. Jerlisa Taylor took a trip to the charity stripe for GSU, hitting both before Burtts gave the Patriots a chance to cut the score further missing a pair of free throws with 15 seconds. Eley converted Saunders' defensive rebound with a layup for a 66-64 game. Burtts finished the game hitting two free throws as Christine Weithman 's three-point attempt did not fall for the final 68-64 Panther victory. Mason shot 45.5 percent from the floor in the second half.
Georgia State (12-18) moved into the quarterfinal round and will face top-seed James Madison on Friday at noon.
