FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's basketball team held La Salle to the fewest points in an Atlantic 10 game since the Patriots joined the league in 2013 en route to a 74-37 victory.
 
The nations' third-highest scoring bench powered the Mason offense to another 70+ point victory, as Patriot subs accounted for 51 points. The Patriots (10-2, 1-0) were led on offense by sophomore Zahirah Walton for the second-straight game, posting a game-high 12 points to go with five rebounds, a block and an assist.
 
Mason scored the opening points of the contest just 37 seconds in. After the Explorers (3-9, 0-1) knotted the game at two, the Patriots scored 11 of the next 12 points, highlighted by three-straight makes from beyond the arc from freshman Kennedy Harris and junior Ta'Viyanna Habib, to force a La Salle timeout. La Salle responded out of the timeout with a three-pointer of their own, but Mason led 14-6 at the end of the first.
 
Kennedy and senior Taylor Jameson opened the second quarter with back-to-back three pointers to push the lead to 14. The Explorers responded with a short five-point run to get back within nine, but that would be the last time they would trail by single-digits. A defensive play by senior Sonia Smith led to a Walton and-one to swing the momentum back in the Patriots' favor as they ended the half on a 9-3 run to lead by 18 at the halftime break.
 
It was all Mason in the third, as the hosts scored a game-high 28 points in the frame. Led by nine points from sophomore Page Greenburg, the Patriots saw five players with 4+ points. Out of the media timeout, the Patriots pulled ahead by 31, capped by another Walton and-one. Another La Salle three-pointer slowed down the Patriots briefly, but they once again responded with a 9-0 run to close the third quarter. Jameson closed the quarter in style with a steal and strong layup as Mason pulled ahead 62-25.
 
The offense cooled off in the fourth, but the defense continued to hold strong. Mason limited La Salle to just three field goals on 20% shooting to hold it to the fewest points by an Atlantic 10 opponent in program history as the hosts doubled-up the Explorers, 74-37.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• Kennedy Harris (11) and Page Greenburg (11) joined Walton as the Patriots to tally double-figure scoring. Harris also led all players with three made three-pointers on just five attempts
• Harris was joined by Taylor Jameson and Nekhu Mitchell as the Mason leaders in rebounding with six each. The number is a career-high for the freshman as Mason out-rebounded La Salle 50-40
• Mason forced the Explorers into 24 turnovers, the eighth time this season an opponent has committed over 20 turnovers. The Patriots capitalized, scoring 31 points off of turnovers compared to just six points off turnovers for La Salle
• Mitchell and Sonia Smith led Mason with three assists each
• The Explores scored just 12 field goals on 50 attempts for a 24% shooting percentage. The 12 baskets and .240 clip are both season lows by an opponent
• All 12 dressed players for Mason touched the court and scored at least two points and pulled down at least one rebound

 
UP NEXT
The Patriots will remain on the road and take another trip north to battle Duquesne on Sunday, Jan. 7. Tip-off with the A-10 Preseason Top-5 team is set for noon inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.