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Preview: Patriots Meet Dukes in CAA Tournament 2nd Round

March 9, 2012 By Tyler Leave a Comment

Since the inauguration of the CAA Women’s Basketball Championships in 1984 George Mason will face James Madison for the 10th time today.  From 2001-2004 the teams met 4 times, splitting the series at two games a piece.  The Patriots win against Madison coming in 2004 when as a two seed they played there way to a finals appearance against coveted Old Dominion University.  The rivalry between these two teams has heated up over the years with  Madison winning both matchups this season.  But even with a rivalry there is a sense of respect.  As Mason head Coach Jeri Porter put it after their loss to JMU on Feb.29th, “James Madison is the second best team in the league.  They not only make plays but they understand how to win.”  And in conversations with JMU head coach Kenny Brooks yesterday the respect is mutual. “Mason is a good team, Coach Porter has them ready.  Taleia Moton is the real deal,” said Brooks during a halftime chat on WGMU radio.

By the numbers:

Mason Madison
(12-15, 8-10) Record (23-6, 14-4)
63.3 ppg Scoring 63.2 ppg
39.6% FG % 36.6%
+4.3 Rebounding -1.6
12.7 Assists 12
4.4 Blocks 4.6
7.0 Steals 7.4

The Patriots and Dukes, while not close record wise, are rather well matched.  Both teams average 63 ppg, Mason led by senior standout Taleia Moton. Stopping teams from getting quality shots is a commonplace as well, both squads keep teams under 40 percent from the field per contest. Look for Mason and James Madison to stay level headed throughout the game as both teams average below a 1.0 assist to turnover ratio.

Key Matchups:

Nikki Newman vs. Janna Pickard:  Both of these players are defensive minded.  Newman especially, as she was announced the CAA Defensive Player of the Year at the awards banquet on March 8th.  At 6 foot 1(Pickard) and 6 foot 2 (Newman) respectively, any driving athlete should be afraid.  In their last matchup Newman sliced the Mason defense for 15 points, while Pickard had a respectable 7 point and 4 rebounds.

Edge: Newman

Tarik Hislop and Taleia Moton: Both of these players are the motor for their team’s offense.  Moton has proved with each game, she wants the ball in crunch time.  Hislop doesn’t shy away when it comes to taking a shot from just about anywhere on the court.  Both were phenomenal this year, Moton winning All-CAA First Team and Hislop All-CAA Second Team.  In there last matchup Moton dropped 15, but it was Hislop’s night as she led all scorers in the game with 18 to pace Madison.

Edge: Moton

Intangibles: James Madison is a seasoned team that has won the CAA Tournament the last two years running.  Mason received their first win in over six year in the tournament in Thursday night as they defeated Northeastern 70-60.  Kenny Brooks has 6 twenty win seasons, and three NCAA births in the last five years.  Coach Jeri Porter will look for her 200th win as she has guided this Patriot team to a better record in each of her last 4 seasons.

Edge: James Madison

Tipoff is slated for 5pm today in Upper Marlboro, MD.  Listen to the game live on WGMU radio with Coaches Corner and Pride of the Patriot 30 mintues before game time.

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Strong 2nd Half Carries Lady Patriots to CAA Quarters

March 8, 2012 By dmarks52 3 Comments

By Danny Marks

Thanks to a stellar performance from its star players and an impressive 13-3 run in the game’s closing minutes, the George Mason women’s basketball team’s seemingly improbable NCAA tournament hopes are still alive.

It has been an up-and-down season for the George Mason women’s basketball team, and tonight’s matchup against Northeastern was no exception.  The Lady Patriots managed to overcome 15 turnovers, 15 lead changes and an uncharacteristically resilient Huskies squad to advance to the next round of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.  Today’s victory marks the first time in six seasons that the team has advanced past the first round.

The Patriots were paced by junior Amber Easter, who turned in an impressive all-around effort, scoring 23 points to go with 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block.  All-CAA senior Taleia Motion was in top form tonight as well, with 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting.

Perhaps the biggest key to Mason’s victory tonight lies in their prolific free throw shooting.  The Patriots were a perfect 18 of 18 from the charity stripe, 10 for 10 in the second half.  The relentless attack of the rim was the most effective method of stopping the offensive onslaught of Northeastern guard Christine Huber, who scored 19 of her 25 points in the second half but was forced to miss valuable time down the stretch due to foul trouble.  With Huber temporarily out of commission, the Patriots’ defense was able to key on the rest of the Huskies roster, who scored just 10 points combined in the 2nd half.

Next up for the Lady Patriots is a matchup with the 2nd seeded James Madison, who are playing their best basketball of the season at just the right time.  The Lady Dukes have won 8 of their last 9 contests, including two against George Mason.  After a lackluster loss at the hands of JMU on Senior Night, the Lady Patriots shouldn’t be lacking in motivation.  If they can carry over the momentum gained from tonight’s performance, a trip to the tournament semifinals isn’t so far-fetched.

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Coaches Corner: ODU Women’s Head Coach Karen Barefoot

December 2, 2011 By Tyler Leave a Comment

Karen Barefoot is a new head coach in the CAA, she recently took over the woman’s basketball program at Old Dominion University.  New but familar, Karen was a fromer  assistant with this ODU squad back in the  2005-2008 season winning three CAA Championships.  Her recent stint with Elon University was a success as she helped coach them to thier first ever Division I playoff appearance.  A pretigous career record of 286-166, she has been an icon of winning and changing programs for the better. 

Although the season remains young, Barefoot’s ODU team (1-7) may find thier toughest task of the season standing in front of them when they visit the Patriot Center this Sunday.  The Monarchs are set to take on the George Mason Patriots in both teams first in-conference matchup of the season.  While the slates remain blank, somebody must go home with thier first conference loss.

In the most recent addition of  “Coaches Corner” Wgmu caught up with head coach Barefoot, to talk about her upcomming matchup with the 5-1 Patriots.  Listen in as she talks about being a new head coach, the CAA conference and putting an end to GMU’s 5 game win streak.

Tip off is 2pm heard right here on WGMU raido, an affiliate of the Gomason Digital Network.

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