FAIRFAX, Va. – Freshman forward
Tamia Lawhorne put on a show in George Mason's 70-60 win over George Washington on Saturday inside EagleBank Arena. Lawhorne posted 15 of her career-high 22 points in the third quarter, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-3 from deep. The Patriots went on a 20-0 run to outscore the Colonials 24-11 in the period.
Mason earned its third straight win over George Washington to improve to 1-0 in Atlantic 10 play, and 7-7 overall. The Patriots shot a blistering 46.6 percent (27-58) from the field and 42.9 percent (9-21) from behind the arc. The Colonials were held to 36.7 percent (22-60) from the floor and 34.8 percent (8-23) from deep.
Junior Nicole Cardaño-Hillary added 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists. She moved into sole possession of seventh place in Mason's all-time scoring with 1,469 career points. Senior
Jacy Bolton chipped in a game-high 10 rebounds.
George Washington hit three early three-pointers to lead 11-8 at the media timeout. Bolton and Cardaño-Hillary hit back-to-back treys to cut the deficit to five with 2:20 remaining (19-14). The Patriots made six of their last eight field goals of the quarter to trail by six after one period (20-14). The Colonials knocked down five three-pointers in the opening quarter while the Patriots committed seven turnovers.
The Colonials continued to lead after a 6-0 run to open the second quarter (30-23). Lawhorne knocked down a jumper to end the three-minute scoring drought for the Patriots. Junior
Marika Korpinen then notched five straight points to cut the deficit to one with 1:16 on the clock (33-32). The Colonials scored a layup with three seconds remaining to lead 35-32 at the break.
The Patriots shot 53.8 percent (14-26) from the field but committed 12 turnovers in the half. The Colonials made six of their eight three-point field goals in the first half.
Mason opened the second half on a dominating 20-0 run over six minutes of play (52-32). Lawhorne ignited for 11 straight points, including three three-pointers, during the stretch. She finished the period 5-of-8 from the floor and a perfect 3-of-3 from deep for 15 points. The Patriots outscored the Colonials 24-11 in the quarter to lead by 10 with one period remaining (56-46).
Cardaño-Hillary scored seven points in the fourth quarter to secure the victory over Revolutionary Rival George Washington. Both teams posted 14 points in the frame but the Patriots knocked down five late free throws to seal the win.
Mason will hit the road for a pair of A-10 contests at Dayton (Jan. 8) and at St. Bonaventure (Jan. 12).
