(Keith Lucas / Sideline Media / A-10)
No. 2 Patriots cruise past No. 3 Spiders, book date with Rhode Island in A-10 tournament final
BY BRIAN A. HAYUM, SPORTS EDITOR AND PETER MAHLER, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
George Mason women’s basketball (21-8, 16-2 in A-10) is one win away from punching their ticket into the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.
The two-seeded Patriots defeated No. 3 Richmond (26-6, 15-3 in A-10), 60-45, in the A-10 semifinals Saturday, booking a spot in the championship game against top-seeded Rhode Island this afternoon.
Coming off the heels of an emotional comeback overtime victory against Dayton, the Mason defense imposed their will, holding a Richmond squad with two top-10 scorers in the A-10 to under 50 points for the second time this season.
Mason’s defense shut down A-10 Player of the Year Maggie Doogan, who was the top scorer in the conference during the regular season (21 ppg). Doogan managed just 10 points against Mason on a 27% field goal percentage, her second-lowest total of the season.
“We knew that we had to come out and be very formidable defensively, because they had a really good offensive squad,” Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis said. “I thought our ladies locked in today, and [juniors Zahirah Walton and Kennedy Harris] just came to put the nail in the coffin offensively.”
Walton and Harris carried the load for the Patriots on offense, combining for 42 of Mason’s 60 points. Walton scored a team-high 24 points, was 9-24 from the field and added 9 rebounds, including 6 on offense.
Harris, who sustained a lower-body injury the day before, returned with another double-digit game, scoring 18 points on 38% from the field.
(Keith Lucas / Sideline Media / A-10)
With Richmond’s campus just miles away from Henrico, Harris commended the Mason Nation for their energy this weekend.
“They’re always loud, and they’re always supporting us, so that just gave us the energy to do what we used to do on the court,” Harris said.
Harris anchored a strong backcourt, recording four steals that include a pivotal play in the second quarter. Stripping the ball from junior Ally Sweeney, Harris tiptoed along the sideline and finished the basket on the fast break with less than 3 minutes left in the first half.
Mason now has a chance to repeat as A-10 champions, and Harris believes her team is battle-tested and confident.
“I think we’ve been in every type of situation when it comes to any game we have played,” Harris said. “So I think now it’s just that we’re using all of that to our advantage, and we’re prepared.”
With an A-10 title on the line, fans can watch the Patriots take on the Rhode Island Rams (26-4, 16-2 in A-10) at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
