FAIRFAX, Va. – A career day on the boards by junior Jacy Bolton helped the George Mason women's basketball team close out 2018 in style.

Bolton snagged a career-high 17 rebounds in addition to scoring 14 points for her sixth career double-double in a 66-52 victory over College of Charleston on Monday in a New Year's Eve matinee at EagleBank Arena to close out non-conference play.

Sophomore Nicole Cardaño-Hillary also added a game-high 19 points to go along with six assists, five rebounds and three steals. Sophomores Camarie Gatling and Marika Korpinen also scored 11 points apiece as the Patriots collected their fourth victory in the last five games. 

"Great way to end 2018," Mason head coach Nyla Milleson said. "Just for the most part I'm happy with the progress we've made since Nov. 1 and, really since Sept. 1, we've made really, really big progress. Obviously, we'd like to have a game or two back that we dropped and didn't feel like we played as well. Another good team win for us, four in doubles just to get off the roller coaster a little bit.  But we are definitely excited about starting Atlantic 10 play come the weekend."

Mason (8-5) never trailed, jumping out to a 17-4 lead after the first quarter. But the scrappy Cougars (4-7) closed the gap, cutting the deficit to six with a layup by Deja Ford with 2:43 left in the half.

The Patriots responded with five straight points, as Bolton knocked down one of four 3-pointers and Cardano-Hillary drove in for a layup, and took a nine-point lead into halftime. 

College of Charleston pulled within six again on the first possession of the second half but Bolton answered right back with a trey to spark a 19-6 run. A pair of free throws by Cardano-Hillary with 2:41 left in the third period gave the Patriots their largest lead, 54-35. They never let the lead dip below 11 after that.

Mason outrebounded CofC 48-41, with five players grabbing at least five rebounds. Bolton led the way, tying her previous career high of 12 rebounds by halftime. Bolton, who entered the game third in the A-10 in rebounding (7.4 rpg), recorded her fourth double-double. She also made four treys, blocked a career-high three shots and nabbed three steals.

"A big emphasis (on the rebounding) was a focus on the guard spot," Bolton said, "because (College of Charleston's) guards crash and so I think being a 3-4 player, I just took it upon myself for the night."

Mason finished with 17 assists on 23 baskets, with junior Alexsis Grate and sophomore Marika Korpinen also dishing out three assists apiece.

The Patriots held the Cougars to 30.8 percent shooting and allowed just four points in the first quarter on 2-of-14 shooting (14.3 percent). Mason also took advantage of CofC miscues, converting 18 Cougar turnovers into 25 points. Many of those baskets came in transition as the Patriots scored 14 fastbreak points.

Mason now has five days off before starting Atlantic 10 play. The Patriots open league action at Davidson at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Davidson, N.C. Mason finished fourth in the A-10 last year, setting a program-record for conference wins with 11.