Ireland Leads Mustangs in 44-36 Victory in Semis;
Mason to Square Off Against Madison in Final

By Lasso Staff (November 9, 2001)

Senior forward Meagan Ireland’s "inspired" play on both sides of the court led her fellow Mustangs to a convincing 44-36 victory in the Bull Run District Semifinals at Madison County Thursday night, Nov. 8.

The Mustangs will square off against arch-rival Madison County on the Mountaineers’ home court tomorrow at 7:30. This will be the fourth meeting between the schools, two of which have gone to the Mustangs. It’s possible that Mason could meet Madison County for a fifth time in the regionals.

Ireland earned a game ball for her "exceptional and inspired play on both sides of the court. She hit open shots, played great defense and grabbed every rebound in sight," said Mason head coach Chris Madison. Ireland closed with 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Ireland’s biggest shot came with 45 seconds left in the third quarter when the Mustangs held the ball for a final shot. "Meagan caught the ball with two seconds left and hit a beautiful shot off the glass as the buzzer sounded, giving us a two-point lead," added Madison.

Senior guard Beth Pyne, whose injured ankle had worried Mustang fans, seemed to be fine, scoring 16 points and contributing five assists. Junior forward Christina Sedney had 8 points and 11 rebounds.

The Eagles came out firing, taking a 9-2 lead in the first three minutes. The Mustangs stepped up their defense in the second quarter holding Clarke to only one field goal and 4 points. The halftime score was 20-18, Mason.

The Eagles picked up their pressure on defense, holding the Mustangs to only one field goal in the fourth quarter. "Our lone field goal toward the end came on a beautiful turnaround by Adrienne Thompson which extended our lead to eight points," said Madison.