By Zach Gindi-Chiafullo
A highly anticipated A-10 matchup took the Charles E. Smith Center by storm this Sunday as GW (9-9) was set to face George Mason (10-6), who had a perfect conference record. After the matchup concluded and both teams went all-out on defense, George Mason stood tall and kept that perfect record.
“They’re a championship-level team,” said GW head coach Ganiyat Adeduntan. “I thought we did not do a good enough job of that when we did. Good things were able to happen, and that’s the next step for us.”
Those “good things” included flashes from individual performances and strong team pushes despite the loss. Among those were guard Colleen Phiri off the bench, clocking 10 points and going 4-5 on field goals, and Sarah Lewis, who registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, also tying the lead for assists among her teammates with 3. Moreover, Emma Theodorsson was honored for reaching 1,000 career points before the game and registered a solid showing in the afternoon, posting 8 points and 5 rebounds.
Emma Theodorsson is awarded ball for surpassing 1,000 career points by Coach Adeduntan
“For me, it’s all about the team winning, and we didn’t get that, unfortunately. But I’m looking forward to practicing, getting better as a team, and finding ways to improve every single day,” said Lewis while reflecting on her performance.
The Patriots benefited from only committing seven turnovers compared to GW’s 24, and gaining points off of those turnovers. They led for almost the entirety of the game.
Another spark for George Mason was point guard Mary Amoateng, who made smart plays and cashed points, particularly in the fourth quarter, helping to further solidify the win. Amoateng noted she had relied on “teammates just finding me, just trusting me, and being confident in my abilities” to fuel her efforts.
Furthermore, forward Zahira Walton shone on the court, racking up 23 points for the Patriots. Walton mentioned she had been testing her work ethic, “knowing it’s going to pay off eventually.”
Coach Adeduntan stated that Sarah Lewis spent a lot of time guarding Walton, and it “Made it very difficult for her. She had to work for every basket, and she got some (points) where we just didn’t finish the play.”
The win for George Mason keeps their perfect conference record intact, and this game further established them as a defensive juggernaut and a force to be reckoned with against any team.
George Mason coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis stated, “Anytime you can secure a win on the road is a really good win. I believe our team did a good job of travelling, and I’m really proud of our defensive performance tonight.” She emphasized the importance of building on success, aiming to “stack good days on good days” with their next game against Loyola Chicago on Wednesday night.
The Revolutionaries will look to improve on their record when they take on Duquesne in Pittsburgh on Wednesday at 6 pm.
