NEWARK, Del. - Taleia Moton set the new George Mason women's basketball single season scoring record scoring 18 points tonight, but it was not enough as the Patriots dropped a 71-53 decision at No. 8 Delaware Thursday night. Moton surpassed the previous mark of 549 points set by Keri Chaconas during the 1995-96 season, reaching 565 points following tonight's performance.
The Blue Hens won their 15th straight contest, improving to 25-1 overall and 16-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association, while Mason dipped to 13-14, 7-9 with two games left in the regular season.
Moton led Mason offensively with 18 points, while Joyous Tharrigton chipped in a career-best 10 points shooting 5-for-9 from the field. Amber Easter led the Patriots on the boards, pulling down eight, as Mason lost the rebounding battle, 46-31. Mason committed a season-low six turnovers while forcing Delaware into 17.
Elena Delle Donne, who was held to six points in the second half, led the way for Delaware with her 12th double-double of the season at 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Danielle Parker notched her fourth double-double behind 14 points and 10 rebounds. Lauren Carra completed the trio of Blue Hens in double-figures with 11 points. Delaware finished the game with a 16-for-18 performance at the charity stripe paced by Delle Donne's 7-of-8 effort.
Delaware capitalized on a sluggish Mason start to open the game, running out to a 15-4 lead by 11:53, forcing the Patriots to burn an early timeout. Moton cut the lead to single digits out of the timeout for the final time in the half as the Blue Hens regained a double-digit advantage on the next possession. A late 8-0 spurt by the home squad handed the Blue Hens their largest lead of 19 points in the stanza, 38-19, following two triples from Delle Donne. Talisha Watts closed the period converting both attempts of a one-and-one for the 38-21 halftime score. Four Patriots scored in the half led by Moton's nine points, while Delle Donne chipped in 22 for Delaware. Mason shot just 25.0 percent from the field to Delaware's 48.3 percent.
After Mason cut the score to 38-26 using two Delaware turnovers to open the second half, the Blue Hens regained control, pushing out to a 19 point lead at 53-34 with 10:22 on the clock. Mason would use a 10-4 run over the next five minutes to come within 11 at 57-46 with just under five minutes to play, but that would be the closest the Patriots would come as Delaware rebuilt its lead out to 18 twice before the final 71-53 score.
Delaware peaked in the national polls this past week coming in at No. 8 in the USA Today/ESPN poll and No. 9 in the Associated Press poll.
George Mason plays its final regular season road game on Sunday traveling to face VCU in a 2 p.m. contest.
