WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a game that featured nine lead changes and six ties, the George Mason women's basketball team fell short to Revolutionary Rival George Washington on Saturday afternoon inside the Charles E. Smith Center.
With George Washington holding a two-point lead with 19.8 seconds left (59-57), Mason's final field goal attempt was no good as the Colonials held on for the victory, 62-57.
Junior Nicole Cardaño-Hillary led the Patriots with game highs in points (19) and rebounds (10). It marked her third double-double in the last four games.
Fellow junior
Marika Korpinen added 18 points, tying her career high in three-pointers (4). The Turku, Finland native went on a personal 8-2 run in the final minute of the third quarter, knocking down a pair of three-pointers during the stretch.
Mason finished with a 39.2 percent (20-51) mark from the floor and made six three-pointers (.300). GW shot 36.4 percent (20-55) from the field and made just four three-point field goals (.235).
The Patriots held a +6 advantage on the glass (41-35), but the Colonials brought down two offensive rebounds in the final 36 seconds to lift them to victory.
The Patriots went on a 7-0 run, including back-to-back baskets by
Camarie Gatling and a three-pointer by Cardaño-Hillary, to take a five-point lead after the first period (16-11). Mason shot a blistering 60.0 percent (6-10) from the floor in the stanza and scored eight points in the paint.
Four straight points for Cardaño-Hillary extended Mason's lead to nine with 5:18 left in the second quarter (25-16). The Colonials hit a backwards buzzer-beating layup to cut Mason's advantage to five at the break (32-27).
At the half, Mason shot an impressive 46.2 percent (12-26) from the field and 83.3 percent (5-6) from the stripe. The Patriots dominated the boards, owning a +9 advantage on the glass (22-13).
Out of the break, the Patriots struggled to get their offense going, making just 1-of-11 field goal attempts to start the third quarter. GW scored back-to-back three-pointers to take its first lead since the 8:03-minute mark in the first period (37-35). Korpinen then stepped up for the Patriots, going on a personal 8-2 run over the final 1:11 minutes of the third quarter. During the stretch, she scored a pair of three-pointers and two free throws. The Patriots held a four-point lead with one quarter to play (45-41).
The Colonials opened the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run to lead 51-47 with 4:40 remaining in the game. Mason responded with a 5-0 spurt, capped by Korpinen's fourth trey of the day, to tie the game at 53 apiece with under three minutes remaining. Each team exchanged baskets to find the game tied once again with 2:08 on the clock (55-55).
Cardaño-Hillary knocked down a pair of free throws to give Mason the lead with 57.1 seconds remaining (57-56). After going 1-of-2 from the stripe, GW grabbed its own rebound and scored a layup with less than 20 seconds on the clock (59-57). The Patriots had a chance to tie the game but their final field goal attempt was no good. The Colonials outscored the Patriots 21-12 in the fourth quarter to claim the victory, 62-57.
Mason returns home for its Homecoming game against Richmond on Wednesday (Feb. 19). Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside EagleBank Arena.
