Women's Basketball takes down Stony Brook to open five-game homestand

Senior guard Brittany Eley goes up for the shot in the Patriots' 74-48 victory over the Stony Brook Seawolves Thursday night. (John Powell)

The George Mason Women’s Patriots (3-5) defeated the Stony Brook Seawolves (3-5), 74-48, at the Patriot Center Thursday night.

The competition was fierce in what was the first ever meeting between the Patriots and the Seawolves, who play in the America East Conference. Aggressive play, quick shots and speed defined the game.

Although many Mason students may have opted to spend time in the library for finals, there was a good representation from community members who came to support the squad. They were playing at home after five games on the road this season, and the Patriots secured the win they were looking for after suffering three consecutive losses.

The Patriots came out strong, racking up six points in less than three minutes of play. However, after the Seawolves called a timeout, they were able to even out the score early in the contest.

Senior guard Brittany Poindexter led the Patriots in scoring in the first half with 10 points, with junior guard Taleia Moton contributing nine points. The gap between the two teams never surpassed seven points in the first half, as the two closely contested teams battled for the lead. Senior forward Angelee LaTouche led on the defensive end for the Patriots with five first half rebounds.

The tables were turned in Mason’s favor for the second half, as their lead was quickly extended to 10 points. The Patriots then hit a scoring roll and continued to raise their lead to over 20 points. The Patriots were able to find more openings and take more controlled shots as the game progressed.

“We definitely had more energy and intensity in the second half,” Poindexter said. “We knew we would need to come out with a lot of strength in the second half based on previous games where that was what was missing.”

Poindexter left the game with 21 points, just one point shy of her season high, 22, against George Washington.

Key shots were made, such as a critical three-pointer by senior Ashleigh Braxton, raising the momentum for the Patriots.

Rebounding also helped Mason take control, especially by junior center Evelyn Lewis, who had 11 rebounds in total. LaTouche also raised her rebounding total to 11 for the game.

It was a strong overall team effort for the Patriots. Moton added 18 points and eight assists for the night. Also in the double digits was sophomore guard Amber Easter with 10 points.

“We really played together as a team, working together to keep each other focused, and close out the half.” Moton said. “It felt really good to play at home.”

Kirsten Jeter led the way for the Seawolves with 11 points.

The Men’s squad just completed a rare five-game homestand, and now it’s the Women’s chance to do the same. They will play their next four games at home, starting with Ohio University Dec. 12 at 2 p.m.