WHO: Women's Basketball at Fordham
WHERE: Rose Hill Gymnasium - Bronx, N.Y.
FINAL SCORE: Fordham 66, Mason 54
RECORDS: Fordham (7-10, 2-2 A-10), Mason (7-10, 2-2 A-10)
KEY PLAYERS: Kristi Mokube - 20 points, 10 rebounds;  Kara Wright - 10 points, 5 rebounds

BOX SCORE (HTML)

BRONX, N.Y. – A monster fourth quarter from redshirt senior Kristi Mokube was not enough for the George Mason women's basketball team to pull out a win on the road.

Despite Mokube coming off the bench and scoring 16 of her game-high 20 points in the final quarter, the Patriots couldn't pull ahead in a 66-54 loss to Fordham on Wednesday afternoon.

Playing in front of 2,410 screaming fans at a packed Rose Hill Gymnasium on Kids Day, Mason (7-10, 2-2 Atlantic 10) trailed the entire game. The Patriots pulled within two with 3:13 left but squandered two straight possessions with a chance to tie or go ahead. Fordham then ended the game on a 12-2 run to stave off the comeback.

“Our team battled today in a very tough, loud environment,” Head Coach Nyla Milleson said. “It was a two-point ballgame with two minutes left and we were unable to convert. We must continue to find a way to fight adversity when our shots are not falling. We will continue to learn.”

With Mason trailing 52-43 with 5:14 remaining, Mokube took over and asserted herself down low. She scored the team's final 10 points, twice converting 3-point plays after drawing contact underneath. She was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, including two with 3:13 remaining to cut the score to 54-52.

After a steal by Taylor Brown, Mason missed a layup. The Patriots had another chance to tie or pull ahead on the very next possession but also misfired. Fordham (7-10, 2-2 A-10) then scored on the next two possessions and Mason didn't get any closer than four points after that.

Mokube added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Kara Wright and Tiffany Padgett each scored 10 points. Brown had five rebounds and five assists but the team's leading scorer was held to a season-low two points.

Fordham was led by Danielle Burns' 17 points. Hannah Missry added 15 points, making five 3-pointers and Samantha Clark had 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Mason took more than three minutes to score and fell behind 13-5 in the opening period. But by the first quarter's end, the Patriots had cut the lead to 13-11. The second quarter went back and forth with the Rams charging ahead by seven. But Wright's 3-pointer with 29 seconds left breathed life back into the Patriots and cut the halftime lead to a manageable 29-25.

Mason opened the second half on a 9-4 run as Mokube's offensive rebound and putback made the score 34-33 with 4:43 left in the third quarter. But as close as the Patriots would get the rest of the way. Burns sparked a six-point spurt to end the period and give Fordham a 40-33 lead. From there, it was an uphill climb for the Patriots until Mokube's late surge.

Mason shot just 32.2 percent for the game and was 0-for-4 from 3-point range in the second half. The Patriots also lost the advantage on the boards, getting outrebounded 40-34.

The Patriots will try to get back on the winning track as they stay on the road and play St. Bonaventure at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Olean, N.Y.