FAIRFAX, Va. – The reigning Atlantic 10 Player and Rookie of the Week set the tone as the George Mason women's basketball team stayed unblemished at home this season.
Natalie Butler and Nicole Cardano-Hillary each scored 25 points to propel the Patriots to an 82-68 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Wednesday night at EagleBank Arena. With a 7-2 record, Mason is off to its best start since the 2003-04 season.
The Patriots have won their first five home games of a season for the first time in eight years. Dating back to the final home game of last season, Mason has won six straight for its longest home winning streak since winning nine in a row during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons.
Butler, who was named the A-10 Player of the Week for the second straight week, grabbed 13 rebounds in addition to her 25 points (one shy of her career high). Her eight double-doubles this season are the most in the country. She shot 11-of-18 from the field and scored more than 20 points for fourth time this season.
Cardano-Hillary, coming off her first A-10 Rookie of the Week honor, also posted her fourth 20-plus point game with the best shooting night of her young career. She scored a career-high 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, including a game-high three 3-pointers. She also got to the line often, going 8-for-10 from the charity stripe. The freshman from Madrid, Spain also dished out four assists and had two steals.
The Patriots last had multiple players with at least 25 points in the same game on Feb. 12, 2014 when Taylor Brown and Janaa Pickard each scored 25.
Mason enjoyed a strong shooting night, making at least 50 percent of its shots in all four quarters. The Patriots shot 50.9 percent for the game and won the rebounding battle 45-34. They've won all seven games when they've held the edge on the boards.
Mason led from start to finish, extending the lead to 18 points late in the third quarter. But Maryland Eastern Shore (1-5) didn't go away quietly. The Hawks scored 16 points off 18 turnovers by the Patriots. They also had 16 second-chance points on 15 offensive rebounds. A layup by Martha Thompson cut the lead to 74-66 with 1:22 to go and forced a Mason timeout.
The Patriots finished the last minute strong, though, with an 8-2 run to end the game. They made six of their final eight free throws to seal their seventh win in eight games.
Sophomore
Jacy Bolton scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds, recorded three assists and nabbed two steals for a well-rounded game. Freshman
Camarie Gatling made her first career start, scoring seven points and hauling in six rebounds. Freshman
Marika Korpinen also added a career-high six points with two 3-pointers off the bench.
Mason takes its longest break to this point with eight days before its next game. The Patriots return home to play LIU Brooklyn at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 at EagleBank Arena.
