GMHS Girls Move to 5-3 With Clutch 'W'

The George Mason High School girls varsity basketball team is off to a fine start, and with a key win over Central Woodstock on Monday, is showing some promise for a strong run after the New Year.

“I really felt that last night’s win was a defining moment of the season,” Head Coach Dan Wilkie said in an interview Tuesday. What Wilkie especially enjoyed was the character his Mustangs showed in the second half. After a dominant first half that saw Mason leap out to a 14-point lead, Central rallied to close the margin and eventually take the lead.

“Central came out really hot in the second half,” Wilkie said. “They basically hit every shot they threw up. I basically looked at my team and said ‘Okay, this is the heart that we’ve talked about. Now, who is going to step up?’ And they all did.” With about three minutes remaining, freshman Annie Zweighaft hit a three-pointer (her third of the game) to put the Mustangs up by two.

“For a freshman to come in at the end of the game and do that is just huge,” Wilkie said. Clutch foul shooting and hard work on the boards paid huge dividends for the Mustangs.

Senior Claudia Daisley came in with 2:30 remaining in the game and shot four of four from the foul line. Senior teammate Alison Van Pelt came up big as well, hitting three of four shots from the stripe. As a team, Mason converted eight of 11 foul shots in the last two minutes to seal the victory, while junior Alex Pender and Van Pelt limited Central’s chances offensively by pulling down some key rebounds. Junior Maggie O’Toole led the team with 11 points.

“Maggie led the team in points again, but this was a situation where we didn’t have to say ‘Maggie, you have to do it for us here.’ It was the whole team coming together,” Wilkie said.

The victory avenges an early-season defeat at Central, a loss that Wilkie counts as the only bad game his team has played all season. “We came in and shot 10 of 47 from the field and couldn’t do anything,” Wilkie said. “People were sick, injured. It was really unfortunate. That’s why I was so pleased that they came back against the same team and put this performance together.”

The Mustangs have started strong in district play as well, easily handling Rappahannock on Dec. 17 by a score of 46-21. Part of the early-season success has been made possible by the newfound depth.

“We’ve had a couple of freshmen playing really well for us in Meredith Hamme and Annie Zweighaft, along with junior Julie Dorsey,” Wilkie said. “We have a team this year that I can put any five out there and they’re all performing at such a nice level that as a coach I don’t have to worry. Last year I rode five players the whole season and when I subbed for them it was very nerve-wracking. I don’t have to feel that way this year. I know what I’m going to get across the board. I mean last night Annie [Zweighaft] and Meredith [Hamme] were second and third on the scoring line. They’re showing a lot of poise as freshmen.”

Despite the early success of the team, Wilkie is determined that the team is capable of achieving far more and will keep his expectations high.

“We are still not where I think we could be,” Wilkie said. “My whole goal for the first part of the season was to shock the rest of the district … and yeah we beat Central who has beaten other teams in that district, so that’s one thing. But I really want to make a statement and have opponents say ‘okay, Mason’s coming we’ve got to get ready.’ Last night was a good step towards that.” The Mustangs’ record currently stands at 5-3 overall and 1-0 in the Bull Run District as they head into the Chantilly Christmas Tournament. That tournament features teams from Fairfax High, Georgetown Visitation, Stone Bridge and Stone Ridge in addition to host Chantilly and

Mason’s first round opponent West Potomac. The tournament tips off for the Mustangs Monday, Dec. 27 at 9 a.m.