The George Mason women’s basketball team hit 8 of their first 11 shots and never allowed the Hofstra University Pride to take the lead, en route to a 76-70 win at home in Colonial Athletic Association play Sunday afternoon.
Senior guard Brittany Poindexter led four Patriots in double figures with 20 points. Redshirt senior center Angelee LaTouche, who averages 4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season, recorded her first double-double this season with 10 points and 11 rebounds against the Pride. LaTouche displayed toughness from the start which helped set the tone for the Patriots.
“Rebounding has been a huge factor in our wins,” LaTouche said. “Being a leader, as the team captain, going after the boards made a crucial impact on my team to do the same.”
The Patriots grabbed 11 more rebounds than Hofstra, helping them stay ahead of the Pride from start to finish. Their effort on the boards and hustling for loose balls made it easy to keep the lead.
“When we start well and carry the lead throughout, I think it just helps us play hard for the entire game and not really feel like we have to use any extra energy to get back into the game,” said Mason coach Jeri Porter.
When Hofstra pulled within one point at 21-20 midway through the first half, the Pride increased their defensive pressure. But redshirt junior guard Taleia Moton was able to weave through the defense and find an open Brittany Poindexter for the basket.
“When Taleia pushes the ball, it forces other players to scoot over and help on her so then she’s able to kick it to me for the shot or layup,” said Poindexter.
The basket by Poindexter began a 9-0 run by Mason to stretch their lead to 10 points, at 30-20, and helped provide a cushion for the home team.
Despite the early double-digit deficit, Hofstra’s bench provided a huge lift for the visiting Pride, scoring 21 first-half points compared to Mason’s 5 points off the bench in the opening period. Their added help cut the Patriot lead to four, 41-37, at halftime.
“They’re a good basketball team,” said Porter. “They’ve got kids that can score in a lot of different ways and during a timeout, I told our kids that when you’ve got players that shoot the ball as well as this team does, no lead is safe.”
But the Patriots grabbed 17 total offensive rebounds, allowing opportunities for extra scoring chances, and hustled for loose balls to take control of the game in the second half, despite a late rally from the Pride.
“I’m almost as pleased with the rebounding as I am with the win because we’ve tried to convince our group all year long that the two go hand-in-hand,” said Porter. “When you rebound, you give yourself second-chance opportunities and keep the other team off the glass.”
The victory ended Hofstra’s three-game win streak against the Patriots.
The Patriots face Georgia State in Atlanta on Thursday looking for their fourth win in five games.
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