DAVIDSON, N.C. – Since Davidson joined the Atlantic 10 Conference five years ago, the rivalry between the Wildcats and the George Mason women's basketball team has provided tightly contested matchups.

Sunday was no different.

The teams kicked off A-10 play with an entertaining, back-and-forth affair in which Davidson ultimately prevailed with a 67-59 victory at Belk Arena. Sophomore Nicole Cardaño-Hillary scored a game-high 21 points and fellow sophomore Camarie Gatling added 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for her third career double-double.

It wasn't enough, though, as the Patriots (8-6, 0-1 Atlantic 10) couldn't muster a fourth-quarter comeback. Mason pulled within two late but Davidson (7-7, 1-0) held the Patriots scoreless the last 2:44.

Prior to Sunday, four of the five previous matchups in the series had been decided by five points or less. Last season's game featured the Patriots rallying from a 21-point deficit to claim victory in the A-10 opener. With the win, Davidson knotted up the series at 3-3, with the home team winning every time.

Mason shot 45 percent from the field in the opening half and grabbed an eight-point lead midway through the second period. But the Wildcats battled back and kept it close in a game that featured 15 lead changes and eight ties.

The Patriots took a 49-47 lead into the final period after Jacy Bolton corralled a steal and then tossed it up the court to Cardano-Hillary, who sunk a layup as time expired. Davidson, however, began the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to take the lead for good.

Mason pulled within two three times, the last coming on a layup by Jewel Triggs to cut the deficit to 61-59 with 2:44 to go. The Patriots had three chances to either tie or take the lead but committed a pair of turnovers and missed a layup. A layup on a fastbreak with 26 seconds to go gave the Wildcats a commanding 65-59 lead with 26 seconds left.

Davidson outrebounded Mason 50-41 and cleaned up on the offensive glass. The Wildcats grabbed 24 offensive rebounds, turning them into 17 second-chance points.

Sophomore Marika Korpinen and junior Sarah Kaminski each scored nine points. Bolton stuffed the staff sheet with an impressive line of a career-high five blocked shots, a personal-best tying five assists and three steals in addition to six rebounds and four points.

The Patriots head home to play their A-10 home opener against St. Bonaventure at 7 p.m. on Thursday at EagleBank Arena.