COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The George Mason women's basketball team battled the nationally-ranked Terrapins on the road, but ultimately fell 86-77 in its' first loss of the season.
 
Despite the loss, the Patriots (7-1) made great strides against Maryland, falling by single-digits for the first time and scoring the most points in the series matchup. The 77 points are the second most points scored against a Big Ten opponent in program history and the most since Mason scored 78 in a 2019 victory over Penn State.
 
The Patriots were led by multiple career and season-highs, most notably by sophomore Zahirah Walton, who record her second career double-double on a career-high 18 points and 14 rebounds (game-high). Senior Sonia Smith also tallied a team-best 21 points, her most this season and the most she has scored in the Green & Gold.
 
Trailing by four midway through the first quarter, Mason strung together a 10-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from Taylor Jameson and Nekhu Mitchell. The Terrapins (6-3) would get back within two, but another Jameson three and Walton's third basket of the quarter pushed the lead back to seven at the break.
 
Mason continued its' hot shooting from beyond the arc, as Jameson and Smith hit back-to-back shots to stretch the lead to 10 with three minutes remaining in the half. The Patriots relied on strong defense down the stretch, holding the Terrapins without a field goal over the final two minutes to go into halftime leading 42-33.
 
The two teams traded points to open the third quarter, as Mason continued to lead by eight at the media timeout. However, Maryland came out of the break firing, going on a 12-1 run to take the lead for the first time in over 20 minutes. Three-straight free throws by Walton would knot the game at 54-all, but the Terps closed the quarter on a five-point run.
 
Despite a heroic effort from the Patriots led by 12-points from Smith in the fourth quarter, Maryland held off the Mason comeback with a game-high 27 points. The Terrapins converted 13-20 free throws in the quarter to offset the Patriots' 23 points and 47% shooting from the field. Maryland's Shyanne Sellers scored 15 points in the stanza to lead Maryland to the 86-77 win.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• Nekhu Mitchell (10) and Taylor Jameson (16) both matched their season-high point totals. Jameson also tallied a season-high four three-pointers while shooting 50% from the field
• To go with the eighth 20-point performance of her career, Sonia Smith also added a team-best four assists and a season and game-high three steals
• Zahirah Walton's 18 points came as a result off a career-high six field goals and six made free throws
• Kennedy Harris and Paula Suárez both dished out three assists. The number is a career-high for Harris 
• The Patriots limited Maryland to just 26.7% (4-15) from three-point range

 
UP NEXT
The Patriots will be back in action next Saturday, Dec. 9, at head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis' alma mater, Mount St. Mary's. Tip-off with the Mount is set for 1 p.m.