December 22, 2010

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Longwood University women's basketball team dropped a 73-45 decision at George Mason University of the Colonial Athletic Association on Wednesday night at the Patriot Center in Fairfax. The Lancers (2-9) were led by sophomore Chelsea Coward | Mechanicsville (Hanover) with 12 points. The Patriots (5-5) were paced by Evelyn Lewis with game-highs 17 points and 14 rebounds. Longwood returns to action on Wednesday, December 29, when it hosts the College of William and Mary of the CAA at 4:30 p.m. in Willett Hall in Farmville.

Longwood jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after a layup by sophomore Erin Neal | Durham (Hillside) before the Patriots tied the game at 8-8 with 13:44 remaining in the first half. George Mason went on a 13-0 run over the next 4:47 to lead 21-8 with 8:31 remaining. The Patriots surged again to end the half, outscoring Longwood 11-1 over the final 4:45 to lead 36-15 at halftime.

Junior Brittanni Billups | Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) scored the first six points for Longwood in the second half to make the score 41-21 with 16:19 remaining. Longwood cut the lead to 24 with 6:24 remaining, but that is as close as it could get. GMU pulled ahead by as many as 34 points in the second half.

Longwood shot 29.4% (15-51) from the floor, including 30.8% (4-13) from behind the arc, and 64.7% (11-17) from the foul line. Coward paced Longwood with 12 points (5-12 FG, 2-3 3FG) while Billups added eight points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Longwood turned 24 GMU turnovers in to 15 points and had 12 steals in the game.

George Mason shot 47.5% (28-59) from the floor, including 36.4% (4-11) from behind the arc, and 54.2% (13-24) from the foul line. The Patriots had two players record double-doubles, led by Lewis with 17 points (6-8 FG) and 14 rebounds and Amber Easter with 15 points (6-13 FG, 2-2 3FG) and 13 rebounds. Brittany Poindexter added 16 points (6-11 FG) for GMU. The Patriots turned 27 Longwood turnovers in to 25 points and scored 17 second chance points. GMU outrebounded Longwood 49-27, including 16-8 on the offensive boards.