FAIRFAX-- George Mason women's basketball team defeated Towson 60-58 in a nail-biter at the Patriot Center Tuesday afternoon.
There had been six ties and just as many lead changes before senior Kyana Jacobs decided to take the game into her hands, literally. Down 58-50 with less than three minutes remaining, Jacobs forced a turnover leading to a 10-0 Patriot run to close out the Tigers.
“We had been down almost the whole game,” Jacobs said. “We had worked but we were lacking intensity and as a leader I knew that we needed that, so I had to pick up my team and get this win.”
“Her energy pumped us up and motivated us to push through,” sophomore Taylor Brown said.
Mason shot just 31-percent while the Tigers only managed 33-percent, but head coach Nyla Milleson never doubted her team could come out with the win.
“In the under four timeout, I looked at them and said,' we're going to win this ballgame,'” Milleson said.
Her team responded, over the last three minutes of play Mason forced three turnovers, drew two fouls and out-rebounded Towson four-to-one. The Patriots had been capitalizing off Tiger's errors all night, with 20 points off turnovers.
A jumper from senior Janaa Pickard and layup from Talisha Watts would tie things up 58-58 before Jacobs stole the ball and drew a foul with three seconds remaining, the Virginia native would convert both free-throws to give the Patriots the lead and seal the comeback win.
“I've been there before,” Jacobs said. “As a senior, you want to knock those down.”
Pickard led all Patriots in scoring with 16 points on the night, while junior Sandra Ngoie contributed 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Brown would be held under 10 for the first time in her short Patriot career but found other ways to make an impact with seven rebounds and nine assists to accompany her nine points. Brown would also draw a charge with 36 seconds remaining to keep the momentum in Mason's favor.
“I think the most important part was that we never got down on each other,” Milleson said.
Mason returns to the Patriot Center Thursday, Nov. 21, against Saint Francis (Pa.) at 7:00 P.M.
