WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The George Mason women's basketball team held off a furious comeback from William & Mary en route to a 77-72 victory and move to 3-0 on the season.
 
The Patriots (3-0) were led on offense by senior Taylor Jameson who scored a season-high 16 points and dished out a season-best five assists. Her nine third-quarter points helped to push Mason back ahead for good in the game.
 
Senior Nalani Kaysia won the jump ball and scored the ensuing layup to kick off the game's scoring and begin a back-and-forth battle in the first quarter. Seven different Patriots scored at least two points in the opening frame as they led by three, 18-15 after 10 minutes. 
 
The Tribe (0-3) opened the second quarter on a 9-2 run to take their first lead of the game, 26-20, and force a Mason timeout. Sonia Smith tied the game at 28-all after an offensive rebound and second chance layup, sparking a 10-2 run to regain the lead. Harris iced the half with a three-pointer with 50 seconds in the half as the Patriots took a six-point lead into halftime.
 
William & Mary continued to chip away, outscoring Mason 23-18 in the third quarter, shooting 53% from the field and knocking down six free throws on six attempts. The Patriots held on to their six-point lead from halftime with 1:19 remaining in the quarter, but a three-point play with 15 seconds to go from Nyla Young cut the lead to one, 54-53, with one quarter remaining. 
 
Jameson scored the opening basket of the fourth, but the Tribe responded with their first of three three-pointers in the quarter to tie the game. However, the Patriots locked down on defense while Harris took over on offense, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to push the lead back to six. The teams traded points down the stretch before William & Mary called timeout with nine seconds remaining. Down three, the Tribe pulled down an offensive rebound, but Ta'Viyanna Habib regained possession for the Patriots and hit two free throws to provide the final tally.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• Four Patriots scored in double-figures for the third-straight game, as Kennedy Harris matched her career-high with 15 points, Sonia Smith scored a season-best 16 and Nekhu Mitchell scored a season-high 10
• Nalani Kaysia had her best game of the season with nine points and a team-best eight rebounds
• The Patriots forced the Tribe into 19 turnovers, which led to 23 points
• Mason's bench outscored William & Mary's, 38-20
• As a team, Mason had a season-best day at the charity stripe, hitting 14 of 19 chances

 
UP NEXT
The Patriots return home for a two-game homestand, beginning with Pitt on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 4 p.m.