WILMINGTON, N.C. - Amber Easter and Janaa Pickard each chipped in 11 points for the George Mason women's basketball, but it was not enough as the Patriots dropped a 61-53 decision at UNCW Sunday afternoon in Trask Coliseum. UNCW shot 62 percent at the free throw line (16-26) to improve to 9-7 overall this season and 2-3 in Colonial Athletic Association play. Mason dropped to 7-9, 1-4.
Easter and Pickard combined for 22 points to lead the way for Mason, while UNCW had four players in double-figures paced by Jessica Freeman's 18 points, 14 coming in the second half. Abria Trice added 16 as Alisha Andrews and Karneshia Garrett chipped in 15 and 10 points, respectively. Mason won the rebounding battle for the first time in three games, edging the Seahawks 35-32 on the boards, led by Evelyn Lewis with nine rebounds. Rahneeka Saunders pulled down eight as the Patriots outscored the Seahawks 26-18 in the paint.
Mason raced out of the gate with a 10-2 lead with just three minutes elapsed, forcing UNCW to burn its first timeout. The Seahawks responded, however, with a 5-0 run cutting the lead to 10-7 before Taleia Moton snapped the UNCW streak. A pair of free throws from Saunders pushed the Patriots back in front by five, 16-11, but the home team held Mason scoreless over the next four minutes, using the drought to take its first lead on an Andrews jumper, 17-16, with 8:00 on the clock.
Pickard returned the lead to Mason with two buckets to finish with a team-high nine first-half points, as Lewis widened Mason's lead with a layup at 5:52, setting the score at 22-18. Cierra Strickland connected on an old-fashioned three-point play at the final media break, but UNCW closed the stanza on a 5-0 run to hold a narrow 26-25 halftime lead.
Mason opened the second half holding the Seahawks without a field goal for the first six minutes as Garrett connected on four at the charity stripe for a 32-30 UNCW advantage with 11:51 to play. Rachel McNair knotted the score for the fourth time of the contest with an old-fashioned three-point play, but UNCW opened a six-point advantage with a pair of treys that followed.
UNCW returned from the third media timeout limiting Mason two a pair of field goals and three free throws from Lewis, while climbing out to a 54-46 lead with 3:22 remaining. The Seahawks closed the final three minutes going 5-for-9 at the free throw line to seal the 61-53 victory.
George Mason returns to the Patriot Center to open a three-game stretch beginning on Thursday, January 19 welcoming the William and Mary Tribe for a 7 p.m. tip.
