Mason hold Billikens scoreless for nearly a quarter, stay perfect in A-10 play

BY PETER MAHLER, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

After more than two weeks without a home game, Mason women’s basketball returned to a snowy EagleBank Arena with a 66-51 win over the Saint Louis Billikens on Jan. 31. With the victory, the Patriots program-best conference record rises to a perfect 10-0.

Junior guard Zahirah Walton led the way with a 15-point, 9-rebound performance, but Mason’s defense was the star of the game. The Patriots suffocated the Billikens, holding them to 33% shooting from the field and 29% from beyond the arc. 

Junior guard Kennedy Harris made her presence known all game long, leading all players with five steals. Her effort was instrumental in shutting down Saint Louis’s half-court offense.

Coming into the game, Saint Louis had the second-ranked scoring offense among A-10 teams, but Mason’s fifth-ranked scoring defense prevailed. A Billikens team averaging 69 points per game mustered only 51. 

The Patriot defense had their work cut out for them in the paint. Saint Louis’s 6-foot-6 center, freshman Alyssa Koerkenmeier, led both teams with 17 points, imposing her will in the low post.

Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis’s gameplan for Koerkenmeier was to “not let her settle in” and make sure to double her when the opportunity arose.

A backcourt violation by Mason on the opening tip set the stage for a strange first quarter. Despite holding Saint Louis to just 29% shooting in the first, Mason only led 16-14 after committing 5 turnovers and early foul trouble.

SLU had three times the number of free-throw attempts as Mason, but their woeful 10-of-18 performance from the line mitigated the damage.

The Patriots’ defense dominated after halftime. For nearly nine minutes of game time in the third and into the fourth, Mason held the Billikens 0-for-9 in a standout defensive stretch. 

During the nine-game win streak, the Patriots’ defense has been a constant, giving up just 53.0 points per game. Since losing to Princeton on Dec. 20, no opponent has put up more than 59 points.

“We have to punch first,” junior forward Louis Volker said while discussing the team’s mentality on defense, saying that their approach builds momentum and puts leads together.

Blair-Lewis’s philosophy on that side of the ball is firm. “Defense leads …everybody has to buy into that, no matter what it is, no matter who we’re playing. We’re going to do everything we can,” she said.

Efficient rebounding from Mason’s frontcourt, including 32 defensive boards, prevented the Billikens from establishing their presence in the paint. The Patriots outrebounded Saint Louis 42-32, swaying possessions in their favor.

Walton credited Volker and graduate forward Hawa Komara for boxing out and giving her opportunities off the glass.

Walton was everywhere on the court, adding seven defensive rebounds and six assists to another double-digit outing. Volker added five rebounds of her own to go along with an 11-point performance, making fourth-quarter threes to help put the game out of reach.

The Patriots’ bench made the most of their opportunity, outscoring the Billikens’ reserves 22-1.

“Our bench is very much capable,” Blair-Lewis said. “Anybody can start. I think we have enough [bench] players that can start on another team.”

After a week of rest, Mason will travel south and face Richmond (8-1 in-conference) in a showdown of A-10 contenders. The defense will be tested once again, as the Spiders boast the best scoring offense in the conference. Fans can watch the 6 p.m. tipoff on ESPN+ on Saturday, Feb. 7.