George Mason University Athletics

Women's Basketball Opens Conference Play Welcoming Georgia State

Women's Basketball Edges Northeastern, 61-55

George Mason Athletics Women's Basketball 1/30/2011 4:27:00 PM

BOSTON, Mass. – Brittany Eley scored six of George Mason's final eight points to send the Patriots past Northeastern Sunday afternoon in a Colonial Athletic Association contest. Taleia Moton hit a jumper with 59 seconds to play, breaking a 55-55 tie and giving Mason the lead before Eley went 4-for-4 at the free throw line to secure the win. With the victory, Mason improved to 10-10 overall and 4-5 in CAA play, while Northeastern fell to 8-12, 3-6.

Moton led four Patriots in double figures with 17 points, followed by Amber Easter with 13. Brittany Poindexter and Eley concluded the game pitching in 10 points apiece. Angelee LaTouche led Mason to the rebounding win, securing a season-high 15 boards. Going a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line, Eley matched her career high in free throws and helped lead Mason to a 76.0 percent shooting effort at the charity stripe (19-25). Northeastern was 12-for-20 for 60 percent efficiency.

Northeastern had only one player score in double figures in Deanna Kerkhof with 19 points. Jamie Conroy recorded five of the Huskie's 13 assists, but Mason's 17 offensive boards allowed the Patriots to convert for 16 second chance points compared to Northeastern's six.

Mason came out of the gate pressuring Northeastern, limiting the Huskies to only six shots through the second media timeout at 11:29, but the home squad was able to stay in the contest hitting three treys as Mason led 13-10 at the timeout. The Huskies used its last triple to spark a 7-0 spurt and take their first lead of the contest, 14-13, with 9:42 to play. Christine Weithman knotted the score at 15-all with a jumper at 8:16 before an Ashleigh Braxton three-pointer at 6:57 ignited Mason's offense, propelling the Patriots on a 9-0 run to take a 24-15 lead with 3:02 left in the first. Northeastern came out of the final media timeout at 2:35 and closed the half on a 10-2 run, cutting Mason's lead to one point at 26-25 at halftime.

The conference teams answered each other's offense to open the second half. Mason pulled out with a six point lead twice by the second media timeout, but Northeastern held strong, cutting the score to one point, 39-38, on a Kashaia Cannon three-pointer at the 12:42 mark. Cannon tied the score at 41 on a jumper at the 10:18 mark as Mason took a four-point lead before the Huskies regained the advantage on a Christine Huber jumper at the 4:42 mark for a 50-49 lead.

Kerkhof hit a three-pointer from the right wing to hand Northeastern a 55-51 advantage as the clock hit 3:33 before Poindexter hit a jumper and Easter recorded a successful trip at the charity stripe to set up a 55-55 ballgame with 1:54 to play. The Patriots forced a Northeastern turnover on the next possession and Moton hit a layup just under 1:00 to give Mason a 57-55 advantage. Cannon missed a jumper as LaTouche pulled down the defensive rebound and Eley was fouled, sending the senior to the free throw line with .24 seconds to go. Eley hit both to give Mason a 59-55 lead and completed one more successful trip at the charity stripe at seven seconds for the final 61-55 score.

Mason returns to the Patriot center for a two-game homestand beginning Thursday, February 3 playing host to Old Dominion. Tip in Fairfax is slated for 7 p.m.

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