(Mitchell Richtmyre / Fourth Estate)
Mason falls to 11-2 in conference play
BY YONATAN DANIEL AND RITHVIK HARI, STAFF WRITERS
The Patriots took a devastating 79-63 loss against A-10 powerhouse Rhode Island on Feb. 14.
After starting the season 10-0 in conference play, Mason suffered their second conference loss in a week.
Despite the impressive performance from graduate forward Hawa Komara, who recorded 13 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, the story of the game was Rhode Island’s conference-best defense. The Rams suffocated Mason, holding them to 31.5% from the field and 11.1% from beyond the arc.
“We had 50 missed shots at home,” Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis said while discussing the Patriots’ “unacceptable” shooting performance. The Patriots had 20 more shots than the Rams due to the impressive offensive rebounding from Komara, but failed to use that to their advantage.
Komara, a transfer from Rhode Island and a former team captain, was greeted by a round of applause from the Rhode Island fans in attendance as she walked off the court at the end of the game. Even though she was playing for a different team, the visiting fans still supported her during her standout performance.
“When I came [to the U.S.] four years ago, they were here for me,” she said. “They’re my second family. When I came, I could barely speak English and everything. My parents and siblings were far from me, and I just love that they showed today. That was amazing.”
Junior forward Zahirah Walton struggled from the field, opening the game 0-7 and not making her first basket until the fourth quarter. Komara’s six offensive rebounds in the first quarter gave Mason multiple second chance opportunities, but Mason shot 26.1% from the field compared to Rhode Island’s 53.8%.
The Patriots only trailed 16-13 after the first quarter, but Rhode Island took even greater control with a 9-0 run midway through the second.
Rams senior guard Brooklyn Gray was a handful for the Patriot defense, tying her career-high in scoring with 30 points. Gray scored 9 points in the second quarter, going 5-5 from the free throw line.
Mason’s cold shooting streak continued in the final seven minutes of the second quarter, managing only one field goal in that stretch.
Both teams dealt with foul trouble and turnover issues in the first half. The Patriots committed seven fouls and seven turnovers through the opening 20 minutes while the Rams had eight fouls and ten first half turnovers. The Rams, in particular, were playing a sloppy brand of basketball as their ten turnovers at the half nearly matched their 11.1 turnovers per game.
The Patriots would go into halftime trailing 36-25. Despite a 7-0 run by Mason midway through the third, Rhode Island’s lead was too much to overcome.
The Patriots have a quick turn-around, facing Richmond today.
“If you sit right here and stay in this moment, then you’ll never be ready for the next moment,” Blair-Lewis said. “When we’re back at practice, we won’t be getting ready for Rhode Island, we’ll be getting ready for Richmond”.
Rhode Island Head Coach Tammi Reiss praised Coach Blair-Lewis and the Patriots.
“I really want to congratulate George Mason on the season they are having,” she said. “I knew when Vanessa got this job, they were going to get good really, really quick and they did. She’s an excellent coach and they have some dynamite players.”
(Mitchell Richtmyre / Fourth Estate)
Richmond handed Mason their first conference loss of the season on Feb. 7 and, with both teams fighting for seeding at the top of the A-10 standings, the stakes are high for the conference rematch. The game was originally scheduled for late January, but was rescheduled due to snow.
Monday’s game against Richmond tips off at 4 p.m., and fans can watch the game on ESPN+.