TOWSON, Md. - Evelyn Lewis and Taleia Moton each chipped in 15 points to lead George Mason, but it was not enough as the Patriots dropped a 70-68 decision in overtime at Towson Thursday night. Mason shot 50 percent from the field for the fourth time this season.

With the loss, Mason dipped to 12-13 overall and 6-8 in Colonial Athletic Association play, while Towson improved to 16-9, 7-7 picking up its fourth straight victory.

Overtime was setup after Towson erased a five-point deficit with just over a minute to play, leaving the score tied at 59-59 at the end of regulation. The teams traded baskets through the first four minutes of overtime, working through four tied scores as neither team held larger than a three-point advantage in the early going.

Trailing by two, Evelyn Lewis hit a turn-around lay-up to knot the score at 68-apiece with 1:31 to play. Towson missed two jumpers to take the advantage with Lewis picking up the rebound on the second attempt. Mason, however, turned the ball over for the 18^th time in the game, giving possession back to the Tigers with 12.8 seconds on the clock. Sheree Ledbetter converted a Krystal Parnell missed jumper under the basket with two seconds to seal the 70-68 victory for Towson.

Lewis and Moton led Mason offensively in the contest, while Rahneeka Saunders dished out four of Mason's 13 assists. Towson narrowly won the edge on glass by one, 36-35, including 17 offensive boards converted into 14 second-chance points. The Tigers also used 18 Mason turnovers for 16 points. Towson led in the paint through the first half, 16-8, but the Patriots outscored the Tigers 24-12 through the final 25 minutes.

Shaking off a slow start to open the contest, the Patriots' Christine Weithman connected on her first triple of the half to knot the score at 10-10 with 12:26 on the clock. Amber Easter tied the score for the third time before Weithman drained a trey behind the top of the key at 8:54 to hand the Patriots their first lead of the contest at 19-16. Mason pushed its lead out to five points before the Tigers responded with a 5-0 run, knotting the score on a Mason turnover at 5:53, 23-23.

It was a back-and-forth effort over the next three minutes until Towson retook the lead at 30-28 on a three-pointer from Ciara Webb, but Mason closed the half using a 6-0 run to take a 34-30 lead into halftime.

Mason carried its run into the second half, opening a 42-32 margin on an Easter jumper before Towson used a 19-6 run consuming the next seven minutes of play to change the lead in favor of the Tigers, 51-48 with 5:36 to play. Janaa Pickard hit Mason's first field goal in seven minutes to snap the run as Lewis hit a jumper at 4:35 to cut the score to 51-50. From the left corner, Cierra Strickland nailed a three-pointer to return the lead to Mason 53-51 at the 3:53 mark.

Lewis and Strickland combined to give Mason a 59-54 advantage with 1:22 to play, but Towson knotted the score at 59-59 on a triple from Webb and a pair of free throws from Parnell setting up the overtime period.

Three Tigers led the way for Towson paced by Parnell's 18 points. Tanisha McTiller followed with 16, while Krystin Fields added 10.

The game marked Mason's first overtime game played since March 6, 2008.