Photo Courtesy of Mitchell Richtmyre
The Patriots handled the Billikens to improve to 13-3.
BY GABRIEL KING, SPORTS EDITOR
Mason women’s basketball defeated Saint Louis 91-61 on Wednesday night, Jan. 17, at EagleBank Arena. The Patriots started the game on a 10-0 run and never trailed in the game.
“I really felt that the girls were prepared today, from the beginning of the tip to the end,” Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis said. Mason scored at least 20 points in all four quarters, including a 23-point first quarter, in which the Patriots shot 69.2% from the field.
Guard Paula Suárez started the scoring for Mason, tallying the game’s first four points. Suárez finished the game with 13 points and four assists. “I’m just trying to find good shots on the floor. I’m always looking to get my team involved,” Suárez said.
Forward Zahirah Walton continued her stellar rookie season, as she scored 21 points on 9-15 shooting, while also recording a career-high five steals. “I’m just making sure I dominate every game,” Walton said. Walton has earned A10 Rookie of the Week honors twice.
As a team, Mason was aggressive on the offensive end, scoring 42 points in the paint. This aggressive offensive attack quickly forced Saint Louis into foul trouble. Five Billikens had at least two fouls at halftime, which hampered their defensive gameplan. Head Coach Rebecca Tillet was ejected early in the fourth quarter for arguing a foul call.
The frequent fouls from the Billikens led to 27 free throw attempts for the Patriots. Mason capitalized on these attempts, making 21 of them. This allowed the Patriots to grow their lead early in the game, and never look back. Mason also shot at least 50% from the field for the third straight game.
“We’re not worried about where the shots are coming from. We’re not forcing things,” Blair-Lewis said of the team’s hot shooting. Mason leads the A10 with 77.3 points per game and is averaging 90.3 points per game over their current three-game win streak.
The victory was Mason’s third straight, all coming by at least 25 points. The Patriots were coming off victories over Duquesne and Davidson, by 26 and 38 points, respectively. After three dominant performances, Mason rose to 52nd in the NCAA NET rankings. This is the best ranking in the A10 and in program history.
Following three consecutive dominations of conference foes, the Patriots will now begin a two-game road trip with games at Massachusetts and George Washington. Mason will return to EagleBank Arena on January 28 at 3 p.m. against VCU for this year’s homecoming game.