Sports

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  Section 124: A Fan’s Perspective

  Sports February 7, 2011 at 7:50 pm Comments are Disabled

  A record crowd of 9,840 eager fans showed up to watch the George Mason Patriots take down the Old Dominion Monarchs 62-45 in a big conference game, extending their winning streak to nine. Junior Ryan Pearson led Mason in their win with a nice double-double, scoring 18 points pulling in 11 rebounds. The Patriots defense was a major factor in the win, holding the Monarchs to an awful 27 percent during the contest. Although Mason faltered early in the game, allowing a 5-0 ODU run in the first 5 and a half minutes, a tip-in shot from Mike Morrison sparked the Patriot offense. A pair of lay-ups and a monster dunk got the Green and Gold back in the game. With less than four minutes left in the first half, and the game tied at 19-19, Isaiah Tate scored a clutch 3-pointer that gave Mason the lead for the first time in the game. The Patriots shot well from long range, with Andre Cornelius again performing well (67 percent) and Cam Long dropping two from behind the arc. The Patriot Center hosted a roaring crowd throughout the entire game, and it was easy to see the players brought everything they […]

   

• Wide Word of Sports

  Sports February 7, 2011 at 7:45 pm Comments are Disabled

  I recently sat down to read an article on Yahoo by Jason King, a college football and basketball writer for the website, about basketball IQ.

   

• Mason defeats the Hofstra Pride

  Sports February 7, 2011 at 7:44 pm Comments are Disabled

  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 […]

   
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  CAA Basketball Midseason Breakdown

  Sports February 7, 2011 at 7:42 pm Comments are Disabled

  After another week of winning for the George Mason University Patriots, the CAA is theirs for the taking. Major conference wins against Hofstra and Old Dominion increased the Patriots win streak to nine games. With only six games left in the regular season, the race for the postseason is in full force.

   
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  Mason rallies behind sell-out crowd to dethrone Old Dominion at the Patriot Center

  News1, Sports February 7, 2011 at 6:51 pm Comments are Disabled

  Nearly 10,000 students and fans packed the Patriot Center on Saturday afternoon to watch George Mason collide with another top CAA conference opponent, the Old Dominion Monarchs, and continue their run toward an NCAA tournament berth. The 2011 Wizard of Oz themed homecoming was fitting for the physical match-up because, for the Patriots, there really is no place like home. Mason has yet to lose this season when playing in front of their home crowd and improved their unbeaten mark to 12-0 with a convincing 62-45 victory over the Monarchs. From the opening tip, the sell-out crowd of 9,840 rocked the arena and cheered Jim Larranaga’s team to victory. On Old Dominion’s first possession of the afternoon, guard Ben Finney launched a three-point attempt that fell short of the rim, provoking chants of “Air ball, air ball” that echoed throughout the Patriot Center. That same energy ran through the Patriots during the first half as they managed just four points in the first ten minutes of play. Mason’s first eight possessions of the game saw the Patriots miss five consecutive shots and commit three turnovers. But their strong defensive effort kept the game close. “With the first half of that […]

   
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  Team success is top priority for senior Cam Long

  Sports January 31, 2011 at 9:06 pm Comments are Disabled

  As members of the Mason Nation, we are committed to unconditionally support the green and gold as they take to the court two or three times a week. With that being said, there is much more to each game than a winning team and a losing one. As our Patriots posted an impressive 84 points compared to a sub-par 58 by the Towson Tigers, one might solely see this game as men playing amongst boys. This win further extended the Patriots record to 10-0 at home and 16-5 overall. However, it was very clear that our beloved team played their hearts out until the very end, even with such a colossal lead. I’d have to say that if it was not already clear before, senior Cam Long has clearly gone above and beyond to not only lead the team in points, steals, three pointers and minutes played, but also to emerge as an overall team leader. Once last year’s only senior Louis Birdsong graduated, it was obvious that Cam saw the leadership spot open up and he ran with it, starting with the team’s summer trip to Italy, all the way to the mid-season form where we are now. There […]

   
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  Long, Patriots ride seven-game win streak

  Sports January 31, 2011 at 9:02 pm Comments are Disabled

  Offense wins games. But defense wins championships. If that statement holds true, the George Mason University Patriots have themselves in prime position to make a run at the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament championship in March. And, most importantly, they have themselves in great position to make some noise in the 2011 version of NCAA March Madness. Their three point defense ranks among the top-20 in the entire country while their scoring defense weighs in for 35th best in the nation. As their team defense has progressed throughout the season, the offense has benefitted greatly and allowed the Patriots to post a +12 scoring margin, good for 28th in the county, throughout the first 22 games of the season. “Right now, we feel like we are clicking real well,” said junior forward Mike Morrison. “Everybody is on the same page and playing together. We’re doing a great job of adjusting to each team and our confidence is very high right now.” Mason’s stellar defense was on display in the Patriot Center on Wednesday night as they held Towson to a mere 42 percent shooting in their 84-58 victory. In that contest, the Patriots notched eight steals and were able to convert […]

   
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  CAA Midseason Breakdown

  Sports January 31, 2011 at 8:57 pm Comments are Disabled

  Halfway through the Colonial Athletic Association schedule, the George Mason University men’s basketball team enters the final stretch of their regular season. Key matchups against CAA leaders Virginia Commonwealth University and Hofstra University as well as a big game against Old Dominion University for Homecoming make the road for the Patriots that much more challenging. With five weeks left until the CAA tournament, it is ironic that there are five top contending teams that are making a run at an NCAA tournament berth. Over this next month, we will take an in-depth look at James Madison University, Hofstra, ODU, VCU and Mason to better understand what they bring to the table in preparation for the CAA tournament which begins March 4. This week’s CAA spotlight team is the James Madison University Dukes. In the last meeting between the JMU Dukes and the Patriots, Mason came away with a narrow 75-73 victory in Harrisonburg in what proved to be a momentum- changing game. A pair of clutch threes by senior guard Isaiah Tate added to a late run by Mason in the second half which proved to be the deciding factor in the Patriots road win against JMU. However, if it […]

   

• Players of the Week

  Sports January 31, 2011 at 8:50 pm Comments are Disabled

  For two consecutive weeks, a member of the George Mason University Patriots was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week. Senior guard Cam Long, who averaged 22 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the Patriots victories over conference opponents Drexel and James Madison last week, was awarded the honors. His 30-point explosion in the victory at James Madison marked a career-high in the scoring category as he was 8-of-9 from the field, including a perfect 4-for-4 from deep range. He became the first Mason player in three seasons to top the 30-point plateau. “It’s all about confidence,” Long said. “Confidence in myself and confidence in my teammates. They were able to get me in a good position to shoot the ball and I just took advantage of it. I’ve been feeling really good lately and my confidence level is continuing to grow.” The previous week, junior forward Ryan Pearson posted 19 points and 5.5 rebounds a night for the Patriots in their victories over Northeastern and Georgia State. He poured in a career-best 24 points against the Huskies early in the week and came back with another 14-point effort at home against Georgia State. […]

   

• The State of DC Sports Address

  Sports January 31, 2011 at 8:49 pm Comments are Disabled

  As set forth by the citizens in the most powerful city in the world, (insert name here) shall deliver to our fan base information regarding the state of our beloved sports franchises from time to time. For more than a century, this nation’s capital has played spectator to a rich history of sports franchises, venues, players and owners. It has witnessed three Super Bowls and one NBA Championship. And, most recently, it has sat by and watched the state of the district’s sports turn into a conglomeration of suck.