Lady Mustangs Prepare for Playoffs

Coming off a disappointing regular season-ending loss to Strasburg last week, the George Mason High School girls basketball team will look to rebound in the semi-finals of the Bull Run District tournament Thursday night against Clarke County.

The Mustangs defeated the Eagles in both regular-season match ups, but in both contests Clarke presented a tough challenge.

“The biggest key is not to be overconfident,” Mason Head Coach Dan Wilkie said. “We beat Clarke twice and the girls had a chance to lose both games, but they found ways to win with free throws in the first game and fourth quarter dominance in the second. We know how to win, we just have to be patient and play our game.”

“Clarke’s strength is their ability to force you into making the mistake,” Wilkie said, pointing out their aggressive, contact-heavy defensive style that has a tendency to fluster some teams. The Mustangs will meet that with a defensive scheme designed to make the Eagles earn their points from the perimeter. “Clarke has not shot well against us in our two meetings, so we are going to try to force them to make their jump shots against us.”

Provided that the Mustangs get past Clarke, it would likely set up a rematch against Strasburg. The Rams are the only team to defeat the Mustangs in the Bull Run District this season, besting Mason on both occasions this season.

“We’re gearing our practices not only on beating Clarke on Thursday, but facing Strasburg on Friday if we win,” Wilkie said. “Strasburg is a fundamentally strong team and they always play man to man defense well. We have put things in lace this week to spread them out and force them to make quick decisions on the fly, hopefully they will make the wrong ones.”

Regardless of the outcome of the coming week’s games, the team has achieved marked success given its young starting lineup that features two freshmen and no seniors. A win this Thursday would guarantee the Mustangs a spot in the Regionals, and a Bull Run Championship will earn Mason a No. 1 seed for the Regionals and a home game next Tuesday.

“I have always been proud of my girls and the job they have done and will do,” Wilkie says. “It has been an incredible season that I hope extends past next Tuesday.”

Mike Hume may be emailed at mhume@fcnp.com