PITTSBURGH – A lengthy scoring drought proved costly on the road for the George Mason women's basketball team.

The Patriots suffered a 76-57 loss at Duquesne on Sunday at the A.J. Palumbo Center for their third straight loss. Mason went scoreless over the final 5:36 of the first half and scored just five points during an 11-minute stretch that spiraled deep into the third quarter.

That proved to be the difference as the Patriots' three-point lead turned into a 12-point deficit by halftime. Duquesne (13-12, 6-6 Atlantic 10) stretched the advantage to 24 points in the third period.

The Patriots (11-13, 4-7) never recovered and committed 22 turnovers – one shy of a season high. The Dukes also knocked down 12 3-pointers, matching the most Mason has allowed in a game this season. The Patriots are 1-8 when they allow eight or more 3-pointers.

Mason started off hot, shooting 53.8 percent in the opening period and grabbing a six-point lead twice. Freshman Alexsis Grate drove into the lane, delivered a nifty spin move and drew contact, making the foul for a 3-point play for a 26-23 lead with 5:36 left in the second quarter.

But then the Patriots went quiet, failing to score the rest of the half. Duquesne, which won a share of the A-10 regular-season title last year and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, took advantage. The Dukes ended the half on a 15-0 run and made four 3-pointers, with the run bookended by treys from Julijana Vojinovic. Mason scored just five points – all free throws - over the first 5:45 of the second half until Sylvia Maxwell snapped the drought from the field with a layup with 4:15 left in the quarter.

Mason finished the game shooting just 28.6 percent from the field. Over the last three quarters, the Patriots made just 20.9 percent (9-for-43).
Grate set a career high with 14 points, shooting 8-of-9 at the free-throw line. Freshman Jacy Bolton added 12 points and senior Kara Wright had 10 points. Vojinovic led all scorers with 23 points and made four 3-pointers.

Mason returns to Fairfax for a three-game homestand, which begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Davidson at EagleBank Arena. The Patriots will hold a Lacing Up 4 Pediatric Cancer game against Davidson. Both teams will wear yellow shoe laces to generate support for the Go4theGoal Foundation in helping children battle cancer.

Go4theGoal works to improve the lives of children battling cancer by providing financial assistance, granting special wishes, developing unique hospital programs, and funding innovative research. Since 2011, professional, college and youth teams have participated in raising funds and awareness for the No. 1 disease killer of children. To date, over 250,000 athletes have laced up to show their commitment to the fight against pediatric cancer. To donate, click here.