FAIRFAX, VA- For the first time in 270 days, there was basketball held in EagleBank Arena! George Mason defeated Navy 72-68, despite trailing by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Jazmyn Doster led the way with a career-high 22 points along with 8 rebounds. In addition, Daijah Jefferson posted 12 points and 11 rebounds for her first-career double-double. Freshman Taylor Jameson added 11 points, a new career-high, while Jordan Wakefield and Marika Korpinen added 10 points each. This was the first time that George Mason had five different players in double figures since February 2, 2019 against Richmond.
The first quarter was a very balanced quarter for both Mason and Navy, as both teams traded baskets throughout a good chunk of the frame. The Midshipmen found some rhythm late in the quarter, ending it on a 10-2 run to take a 14-10 lead after 10 minutes. Mason responded with a near-perfect second quarter, as Jazmyn Doster began to flex her muscles.
As she described it after the game, “Going in, I knew we had size, and coach told me it was up to me if I was gonna eat or not.”
And eat she did! Jazmyn had 14 first half points, including a personal 6-0 run to start the second quarter which gave Mason a 16-14 lead at the time.
The third quarter was really a low point of the game for Mason, however. The Patriots got out-scored 22-12 in the frame, going from a 36-27 lead with 6:30 left in the quarter to trailing 46-41 thanks to a 13-2 run. The bleeding would continue in the fourth, as the Mids built a 51-41 lead on a Sydne Watts and-1 with 8:22 left to play.
But just then, when it looked like the Patriots were done for, they found another gear. At a junction of the game which in previous years they might have folded, they fought back today. Mason began to chip away at the deficit. Jordan Wakefield hit a huge three to spark some life into the Green and Gold that made it a five point game with 6:25 left to play. On the ensuing George Mason possession, Marika Korpinen drained a three of her own to make it a four point game. Devyn Wilson even got in on the action, with a three the old fashioned way to make it a three point game.
Then Jazmyn Doster decided it was time to eat once more. The sophomore took the game into her own hands, and single-handedly willed George Mason into the lead with six straight points, culminating with the Patriots re-claiming the lead at 64-62 with 44.5 seconds left. On the ensuing possession after a Navy timeout, Jordan Wakefield intercepted the inbounds pass, and knocked down both free throws to make it a two possession game. In the final 30 seconds, Marika Korpinen, Taylor Jameson and Daijah Jefferson combined to shoot 6-8 from the foul line, sealing the win for the Patriots.
“Win number 1!” said head coach Nyla Milleson postgame. “It wasn’t the prettiest thing ever, but I thought we had spurts of really good moments.”
“We had that really, really bad spurt in the third quarter that, whew…we were up seven, I don’t know the run we gave up [13-2 run], we had some really bad turnovers in that stretch we didn’t guard…So a little bit of a roller coaster, but we know that’s what it’s gonna be with this team right now.”
One noticable change from previous years was Mason’s press, spearheaded by the two-headed monster of Daijah Jefferson and Taylor Jameson, which came up with two key turnovers in the fourth quarter that helped Mason rally. “It’s something we have worked on…and something we want to continue to use it here and there,” said Milleson. “We feel like there’s some places that we can definitely [pick up full court press]. Daijah Jefferson adds a lot there and Taylor Jameson, wow, she had a really good game.”
The victory for Mason inches Nyla Milleson ever closer to 100 wins at Mason, as today gives her 96. She will have the opportunity to move that number to 97 on Tuesday evening when George Mason hosts Longwood at 6:00 from EBA. 250 fans will be allowed to attend, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. We’ll see you then.
