Mason Girls Take Top Spot in District on Senior Night

It was a knock down, dragem’ out type of game when Bull Run District foes and William Monroe met Thursday night in Falls Church but the Lady Mustangs pulled away with a 51-38 win.

Both teams played physical early on in the game combining for 14 first half fouls and countless scratches, bumps and bruises. Mason Head Coach LaBryan Thomas said his team needed to play against a physical team before the tournament begins. He said it’s good practice.

“It was tough but the last time we played them it was tough,” Thomas said. “It was nothing intentional on their part, they just play tough.”

The gymnasium at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School was decorated for Senior Night for the Mustangs. The team will loose five seniors this year including backcourt mates Leah Roth and Krista Kelly and forward Lauren Kane.

The Mustangs fought their way out of the first half but really started pulling away in the third quarter. They scored six points in less than a minute on two three-point plays by Kane and junior Stephanie Cheney (14-points).

In the January matchup against William Monroe, Kane suffered a concussion and was held out of several games. The senior showed no effects from the concussion as she crashed the boards for rebounds and hit the deck diving for lose balls, scoring 10-points in the process.

“Everyone kept saying it was more of a football game,” Kane said.

With emotions running high on the night of her last regular season game at home, Kelly said the game went as she expected it to go. She said William Monroe is one of the tougher opponents they faced during the season.

“It was just as physical as it was when we went there,” she said.

FREE THROWS

Kane, Kelly, Roth, May Williamson and Sonia Kapoor played their last regular season game in front of the home crowd Wednesday. With 2:02 left in the game, Thomas subbed in his five seniors drawing a roaring applause from the crowd.

“Everything is a last for us,” Roth said. “We won’t be here next year.”

Kelly said it was hard to believe it was her last regular season home game.

“When you come on varsity, you watch other seniors graduate and now it’s our turn,” she said.

Cheney had a game high 14-points. Ashley Alexander scored 11-points and Kane scored 10-points. Freshman Ava Roth scored 8-points in the game.

Mason (17-4) sits alone atop the district with one regular season game remaining before the Bull Run tournament kicks off.