(Jordan Giles / Fourth Estate)
The Patriots flourish while the Dukes and Rattlers dwindle
BY PETER MAHLER, STAFF WRITER
Winning big is sweet, but what’s even sweeter is doing so with a ring and a banner to show for it. On Monday, Nov. 10, the Patriots celebrated their Atlantic 10 championship with gaudy rings and a first-time-ever banner ceremony before destroying Florida A&M 88-40 in a game that was never close.
The Patriots waited three games to play in front of a home crowd, and the season began on a shaky note before settling down. After a hard-fought 94-85 overtime loss at Temple, Mason women’s basketball topped in-state rival James Madison 72-57 for their first win of the season.
Though Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis acknowledged the significance of Mason’s first win over James Madison in 20 years, she treated them like any other opponent.
“It’s the next game up,” she said. “It doesn’t matter who it is. It doesn’t matter what the record is. When you’re trying to square yourself, you’re not worried about the next person. You’re worried about yourself.”
Blair-Lewis has encouraged her team to “believe big squared,” all offseason. A dominating defensive performance against JMU and FAMU may provide a glimpse into what that mindset brings to the Patriots this season.
JMU’s Peyton McDaniel, a senior, entered the matchup on fire. She shot a scorching 62.5% from the field against Kent State, adding 29 points in a 32-point blowout versus the Golden Flashes.
Against Mason, though, McDaniel was held to 5-of-24 from the field. As a whole, JMU shot 27% against a Patriot defense that blocked them eight times and effectively contested nearly every shot attempt.
“That was their go-to player, so it’s just making sure you pressure her and make her make decisions that she doesn’t want to make,” Mason’s junior guard Kennedy Harris said.
Despite taking only one more 3-pointer, the Patriots landed 10 more of their attempts than JMU. The Dukes had a disastrous 4-of-29 night from three, as they struggled to find an answer to the Patriots’ sticky perimeter defense.
Harris contributed three 3-pointers, and seven other Mason players made at least one. Only two Dukes, McDaniel and junior Bree Robinson, landed theirs.
After scoring 31 points in the loss to Temple, Junior Zahirah Walton provided the Patriots with another stellar game, scoring a game high 22 points. She was the most efficient player from beyond the arc, going 4-of-8 from three.
Making plays on the other end with four steals and a block — while securing seven rebounds — Walton’s all-around performance helped the Patriots get out to a big first-half lead that they never looked back from.
Following the utter domination from three against James Madison, the Patriots delivered an even more lopsided blowout against Florida A&M. The Patriots won by 48 points and strangled an anemic Rattler offense that shot a putrid 15.8% from three.
Mason’s bench thoroughly outperformed their opponent’s, with 43 points from bench contributors versus Florida A&M’s 24. While all but four Patriots scored at least five points, just three Rattlers managed the same feat, as freshman Brooklyn Swann led them with only nine points.
Coach Blair-Lewis attributes the home atmosphere in EagleBank to the excellent play from so many of her players. “I’m glad they were able to get a couple of games under their belt and come back home and just have some fire in the belly. All of them played and contributed well tonight,” Blair-Lewis said.
Junior Page Greenburg and freshman Sara Blair are two players who made the most of their opportunities. Greenburg scored 11 points at 55% shooting and played a major factor in the early Mason surge during the 1st quarter. Meanwhile Blair had 13 rebounds in just 16 minutes of action, as she played cleanup duty and helped Mason hold onto the ball longer.
Notably, the Patriots thrived in offensive rebounding, which had been an issue for them against Temple and JMU. Blair-Lewis said that this was a key that was focused on during their practices in preparation for FAMU, and it showed throughout the whole game. They secured 21 from the glass as opposed to FAMU’s 7, which became a noticeable factor in the paint, allowing for easy putbacks and extended possessions.
Despite the early Temple loss, it appears that this year’s Mason team has not skipped a beat. Two games of throttling the other opponents show that Vanessa Blair-Lewis has her squad focused on the present, even while enamoured with championship glory from last year.
The Patriots will continue their home schedule when they face the Georgetown Hoyas on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. Fans can attend at EagleBank Arena or watch on ESPN+.