FAIRFAX, Va. - In a back-and-forth affair between two of the top teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the George Mason women's basketball team closed the door on a signature win.
Four players scored in double figures and graduate student Natalie Butler set the single-season rebounding record and posted her 20th straight double-double as the Patriots charged to a 81-72 victory over Saint Louis on Wednesday night at the EagleBank Arena. Mason (16-5, 5-2 Atlantic 10) rattled off 10 straight points in the final period to pull away in a tied ballgame and knock off a Billikens squad that was picked to finish second in the Atlantic 10 and won 51 games the last two years.
The Patriots also collected their 16th win of the season - their most since 2003-04 - and stayed perfect at home this season. They're 12-0 at home this year and their 12 wins sets the program record for most wins in a season at EagleBank Arena. Dating back to last season, they've won a program-record 13 consecutive games.
Butler scored 17 points and grabbed 21 rebounds - her third 20-plus rebound game of the season - for her 20th straight double-double, which is the fifth-most in Division I women's basketball history. In the third quarter, she grabbed her 322nd rebound this season, which broke the single-season school record of 321 Valerie Douglas had set in 1981-82. Butler now has 328 rebounds, which leads the country.
In a game that featured 17 lead changes and eight ties, the Patriots pulled away late in the fourth quarter. After Saint Louis (10-10, 4-3) tied the game at 66-66 on a jumper by Maddison Gits with 2:25, Mason answered with a 10-0 run. Sophomore Jacy Bolton drove in for a layup on the ensuing possession to give the Patriots the lead for good. Mason then forced a shot clock violation by Saint Louis. Freshman Nicole Cardano-Hillary took advantage, making a layup on the other end.
After a flagrant foul and subsequent turnover on the Billikens, Cardano-Hillary made a pair of free throws on the next possession. Butler then got an offensive rebound and putback and Cardano-Hillary made another free throw to cap off the spurt for a 77-67 lead with 44 seconds remaining.
Cardano-Hillary, the conference's leading scorer, scored 12 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter after dealing with foul trouble for much of the game. She was also 8-of-12 at the free-throw line. Bolton added 12 points and sophomore guard Sarah Kaminski chipped in 11 points, scoring eight in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Senior Tayler Dodson scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds and freshman Camarie Gatling had nine points and eight boards. Mason the rebounding battle 53-38.
The Patriots cap off the two-game homestand against Fordham at 2 p.m. on Sunday on Girl Scout Day.
