MECHANICSVILLE - George Mason coach Michael Gilroy may have had the best summary of his team's Saturday afternoon win over Stuarts Draft when asked the difference in the game.
"We have size," he said.
That about sums it up. Early on, Mason's 6-foot Katherine Hirsch abused the Cougars, scoring her team's first 10 points. That set the tone for the Mustangs, opening up room for the guards to work.
A scoring slump in the third quarter also didn't do Stuarts Draft any favors, as the Cougars fell 54-44 in the Region 2A East consolation game at Hanover High School. With the loss, Draft will now open the state tournament Thursday at James Madison University, tipping at 6 p.m. against Floyd County, the top seed out of 2A West.
Hirsch finished with 20 points in the win.
"Big problem," Stuarts Draft coach James Carter said about Mason's junior center. "She was solid, gosh. Good hands, did a lot of good things. And they're so big with the screens up there, their guards are able to come off pretty tight off of those."
Draft grabbed a seven-point lead midway through the second quarter after a Danielle Brenneman bucket, but Mason rallied to lead by one at halftime.
Early in the third, Abby Rodgers knocked down a 3 to give Draft its final lead of the game, 32-30. After that, the Cougars went five straight possessions without scoring, missing four field goal attempts and committing two turnovers. Carter called that "uncharacteristic" of his team and said, to him, Draft looked flat.
Stuarts Draft's Maggie Sorrells goes low to pass the ball around George Mason's Nicole Bloomgarden during a Region 2A East girls consolation game played in Mechanicsville on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Photo: Mike Tripp/The News Leader)
"Normally we like to play full-court man, we like to get out and trap, but I knew that if we could get a lead we could sit," Gilroy said. "We play a pretty extended 2-3 zone, we like to swarm a little bit, we like to trap out of it, but I knew that if we could get a lead we could sit in there and give them problems. I think we did. They were kind of passing it around the horn a little bit instead of attacking."
While Draft was struggling to score, Mason took advantage, going on a 10-0 run with three points from Hirsch and two big baskets, one a 3-pointer, by Victoria Rund.
"I messed up," Carter said. "I put us in a man. We had been playing pretty well in a zone ... they're solid. Oh gosh, they execute really well. They're physical guards, so they were able to handle a lot of stuff."
The Cougars got the Mason lead back to four when Monique Ayres scored early in the fourth quarter, but Draft went through another dry spell following the junior's bucket. The next six possessions were empty for Draft and by the time it scored again, on a Rodgers' free throw, Draft was down seven with 3:13 left.
Draft got within five, but a Hirsch basket stretched Mason's advantage back to seven and the Mustangs hung on for the win.
Brenneman finished with 18 points, while Ayres had 11 for Draft.
Saturday was the last game Draft will have the luxury of losing and still have another game to play. If they lose on Thursday the Cougars season will come to an end. It's the first trip to the state tournament since 2012 for Draft, and Carter's first trip as a coach.
"I'm excited, my girls are excited," Carter said. "I just think we need to take this weekend and Monday off and get away from basketball a little bit and recharge our batteries."
STUARTS DRAFT 15 12 9 8 — 44
GEORGE MASON 13 15 14 12 — 54
"We have size," he said.
That about sums it up. Early on, Mason's 6-foot Katherine Hirsch abused the Cougars, scoring her team's first 10 points. That set the tone for the Mustangs, opening up room for the guards to work.
A scoring slump in the third quarter also didn't do Stuarts Draft any favors, as the Cougars fell 54-44 in the Region 2A East consolation game at Hanover High School. With the loss, Draft will now open the state tournament Thursday at James Madison University, tipping at 6 p.m. against Floyd County, the top seed out of 2A West.
Hirsch finished with 20 points in the win.
"Big problem," Stuarts Draft coach James Carter said about Mason's junior center. "She was solid, gosh. Good hands, did a lot of good things. And they're so big with the screens up there, their guards are able to come off pretty tight off of those."
Draft grabbed a seven-point lead midway through the second quarter after a Danielle Brenneman bucket, but Mason rallied to lead by one at halftime.
Early in the third, Abby Rodgers knocked down a 3 to give Draft its final lead of the game, 32-30. After that, the Cougars went five straight possessions without scoring, missing four field goal attempts and committing two turnovers. Carter called that "uncharacteristic" of his team and said, to him, Draft looked flat.
Stuarts Draft's Maggie Sorrells goes low to pass the ball around George Mason's Nicole Bloomgarden during a Region 2A East girls consolation game played in Mechanicsville on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Photo: Mike Tripp/The News Leader)
"Normally we like to play full-court man, we like to get out and trap, but I knew that if we could get a lead we could sit," Gilroy said. "We play a pretty extended 2-3 zone, we like to swarm a little bit, we like to trap out of it, but I knew that if we could get a lead we could sit in there and give them problems. I think we did. They were kind of passing it around the horn a little bit instead of attacking."
While Draft was struggling to score, Mason took advantage, going on a 10-0 run with three points from Hirsch and two big baskets, one a 3-pointer, by Victoria Rund.
"I messed up," Carter said. "I put us in a man. We had been playing pretty well in a zone ... they're solid. Oh gosh, they execute really well. They're physical guards, so they were able to handle a lot of stuff."
The Cougars got the Mason lead back to four when Monique Ayres scored early in the fourth quarter, but Draft went through another dry spell following the junior's bucket. The next six possessions were empty for Draft and by the time it scored again, on a Rodgers' free throw, Draft was down seven with 3:13 left.
Draft got within five, but a Hirsch basket stretched Mason's advantage back to seven and the Mustangs hung on for the win.
Brenneman finished with 18 points, while Ayres had 11 for Draft.
Saturday was the last game Draft will have the luxury of losing and still have another game to play. If they lose on Thursday the Cougars season will come to an end. It's the first trip to the state tournament since 2012 for Draft, and Carter's first trip as a coach.
"I'm excited, my girls are excited," Carter said. "I just think we need to take this weekend and Monday off and get away from basketball a little bit and recharge our batteries."
STUARTS DRAFT 15 12 9 8 — 44
GEORGE MASON 13 15 14 12 — 54
