WHO: Women's Basketball vs. Arizona
WHERE: EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Va.
FINAL SCORE: Arizona 81, Mason 70
KEY PLAYERS: Jacy Bolton – 17 points; Sylvia Maxwell – 11 points; Tayler Dodson – 10 points, three assists

FAIRFAX, Va. – Hot shooting propelled the George Mason women's basketball team to a big start on Friday night.

Unfortunately, the Patriots cooled off and Arizona heated up.

Freshman Jacy Bolton scored a career-high 17 points but Mason couldn't hold off a comeback by the Wildcats an 81-70 loss on Friday at EagleBank Arena.

The Patriots shot a stifling 73.3 percent from the field in the first quarter and led by as many as 14 points in the first half. But Arizona rallied with seven of its 10 3-pointers coming after halftime. LaBrittney Jones scored a game-high 20 points as the Wildcats scored 50 points in the second half and had four players finish in double figures.

After losing the lead in the third quarter, Mason (2-2) battled back to take a two-point lead into the final period. But Arizona (2-0) started the quarter on fire, making its first three baskets to take a 59-55 lead. After a Mason timeout, Sylvia Maxwell sank a pair of free throws and Tayler Dodson hit a jumper to tie the game with 7:19 remaining.

The Patriots had a chance to regain the lead but missed a turnaround jumper. Arizona's Destiny Graham put the Wildcats back in front for good with a basket. The Wildcats wouldn't trail after that. Mason pulled within one on a bucket from Chinyere Bell. Arizona's Malena Washington, however, scored the next five points to extend the lead to 70-64.

Leading by five, Arizona's Taryn Griffey provided the dagger, sinking a contested 3-pointer as the shot clock expired with 1:05 left for an insurmountable eight-point lead.

Bolton scored 13 of her team-high 17 points in the first half. The 6-foot-1 guard was nearly perfect from the field, shooting 5-of-6 and making her first five shots. She also made two free throws and is a perfect 9-for-9 from the line to start the season.

Maxwell scored 11 points – her most at Mason. The 5-foot-7 guard, who is in her first season at Mason after transferring from Niagara, scored seven points after halftime. She also had two assists and two steals. Dodson scored a season-high 10 points, with eight coming in the second half. She also dished out three assists.

The Patriots led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter. They started the game making 11 of 15 shots (73.3 percent) and eight players scored in the opening period. DeJah Williford-Kelley's layup off an assist from Dodson with six seconds left gave mason a 27-15 lead heading into the second quarter.

Mason couldn't keep the hot shooting going, though. The Patriots shot just 33 percent the rest of the game, including only 4-of-13 in the second quarter as Arizona crept back into the game.

The Patriots pushed the halftime lead to 38-31 as Dodson hit a jumper as time expired. But the Wildcats kept coming, scoring the first eight points of the second half. Griffey sunk one of her four 3-pointers with 7:09 left in the third quarter to give Arizona its first lead of the night.

The game went back and forth from there as the contest featured five ties and five lead changes. But the Wildcats closed out the game with a furious fourth quarter, shooting 90.9 percent (11-of-12) in the final period to pull away.

Mason finished the game shooting 44.4 percent from the field. The Patriots were outrebounded for the first time this season, losing the battle on the boards 33-27. They also committed 16 turnovers, with nine after halftime.

The Patriots return to action at 7 p.m. on Monday when they host Norfolk State at EagleBank Arena.