Staff Writer Cody Norman
Previewing the field: NBA postseason begins as Lakers look to defend their crown
|Western Conference
No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 8 Oklahoma City Thunder
In the incredibly competitive West, young upstarts Oklahoma City are looking to bring the lightning to the defending champion Lakers and perennial overachiever Kobe Bryant. However, the Lakers look to defend their title with one of the top defenders in the league, Ron Artest. Los Angeles was rated in the top 10 this season, allowing just 96.3 points per game thanks to the suffocating defensive play from Artest.
It was not exactly the ideal type of day for an outdoor jam session.
|It took freshman pitcher Nick Kendrick just 17 batters and 49 pitches to get through four scoreless innings of work against the Maryland Terrapins in a 3-1 victory for the George Mason University baseball team on Tuesday afternoon.
Kendrick was in a groove early and retired 12 of the first 16 batters he faced before being hit in the hand with a ground ball off the bat of centerfielder Matt Marquis.
A rollercoaster finish: Baseball team’s rally falls short against the Dukes
|The George Mason University baseball team scored 10 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and forced extra innings in the first of a three-game set against the rival James Madison Dukes, but the Patriots were unable to complete the comeback, losing 21-16 on Friday night at Spuhler Field.
The Patriots kicked off Colonial Athletic Association play on Friday afternoon, with a wild start and finish as the two teams combined for 37 runs and 42 hits.
Homer, sweet homer: Montefusco hits go-ahead single in home opener
|Duquesne University Dukes catcher Jared Bowser did not get much of a chance to hit the ball after getting hit by a pitch twice as the George Mason University’s baseball team and Dukes totaled seven hit batsmen.
Scags claw back, beat Patriots: Mason surrenders 27-point lead
|After being rammed by VCU in the quarterfinal round of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, the youthful George Mason University men’s basketball team settled for a postseason appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they took on the Fairfield Scags. And their inexperience showed as the Scags rallied from a 27-point deficit in the second half to oust the Patriots 101-96 in the first round of the CIT.
And the Beat Goes On; Patriots Outlast Rams in Overtime
|The men’s basketball team carried a 17-game home conference winning streak back into the Patriot Center for another Colonial Athletic Association matchup with the VCU Rams on Tuesday night. Mason had dropped back-to-back games for the first time in 2010 while the Rams were one of the hottest teams in the CAA, winning eight of their previous nine contests.
Offensive Woes Continue; Hofstra Takes Early Lead to Rout Mason
|Since rattling off six wins in eight games to open up the 2009-10 campaign, the women’s basketball team has gone cold. Their offense has stammered as the Patriots have only topped the 60-point mark once in their last 11 outings and have notched an ugly 2-11 record.
Although they have played extremely well at home this season, notching an 8-4 record, the Patriots have recorded only one win against their conference opponents.