By Caitlin Butler

George Mason High School’s girls basketball team walloped Manassas Park High School by over 40 points Tuesday night, cruising to a 67-20 win to make it four in a row for the Mustangs

Victories over Broad Run, Warren County, Central (Woodstock) and now Manassas Park has Mason running hot at just the right time. Although the winning streak looked in doubt early into against the Cougars.

The Mustangs struggled in the first quarter with a lack of energy and drive.

“We started off a little lackadaisical and not ready to play. As soon as we realized it was a close game we kicked it up with our intensity and started to work as a team like we usually play,” said senior guard Julia Rosenberger.

“We were struggling not being engaged in the first quarter,” head coach Chris Carrico chimed in. “We were a little complacent stepping out when the game first started. After the first quarter we definitely got more engaged and left that complacency behind us for the rest of the game.”

The Mustangs did just that by demonstrating their usual intensity and finding their groove offensively.

Carrico noted that the enthusiasm and the attention to detail was sharper on both ends of the floor throughout the second quarter, as Mason only allowed the Cougars to score a total of 11 points by the end of the first half, while the home team claimed 39 for itself.

Mason owned the court heading into the second half, and practically strolled through Manassas Park’s full court press and nailed consecutive buckets to pick up right where the Mustangs left off to end the first. The game soon got out of hand as Carrico allowed reserves to close out the contest.

“At halftime we hyped each other up knowing we could play better than this. That’s why we improved in the second half,” Rosenberger added. “Also our whole team got to play and that always makes games more hype when we know that every single person is going to get in.”

In the fourth quarter Mason notched a total of 17 points, six of those belonging to the three-point sharpshooter in freshman guard Elisa Goislard.

Carrico is looking forward to finishing up the season with hopes of accumulating more positive steps before the postseason.

“Just to keep going on the roll that we are on while staying confident both offensively and defensively. In particular, concentrating on getting off lots of shots during practice for the offense. While playing as a team on the offensive side of the ball, giving up good shots for great shots is what we have been concentrating on.”

The Mustangs will face Skyline High School at home on Friday.