FAIRFAX, Va. – On a day highlighted by celebrated 50 years of program history, the George Mason women's basketball team continued to make history of its' own, downing the VCU Rams 60-47 to move to 7-1 in Atlantic 10 play and 16-3 overall.
 
The Patriots handed the Rams (17-3, 6-2) just their third loss of the season by overcoming the No. 1 defense in the country with minimal turnovers and solid shooting from the field. 
 
Ta'Viyanna Habib and Zahirah Walton had similar stat lines to lead Mason, as both tallied team-high 13 points and game-high nine rebounds. The rebound tally was a career-high for Habib as she added two steals and an assist. Walton was just one board off her second-straight double-double, and also tallied two blocks and an assist. The duo combined for 50% from the field (10-20), 50% from deep (3-6) and 100% from the free throw line (3-3).
 
It took almost two minutes of play for VCU to open the scoring, but Paula Suárez responded on the next possession with a three-pointer to take the lead. The shot sparked a 10-0 run for Mason over a 3:30 span, including five points from Suárez, as the Patriots took a 10-2 lead. VCU went on a quick 6-0 run to get within two at the 1:48 mark, but Walton converted two free throws to push the lead back to four. The Rams hit a second chance layup in the waning seconds of the quarter and the Patriots led by two at the break.
 
The Rams scored the first five points of the second quarter to take back the lead. The teams traded points and the lead three times before Walton converted a jump shot at the 3:44 mark to give Mason the lead back for good. Two minutes later, Suárez hit two free throws and Nekhu Mitchell grabbed a huge offensive rebound and scored a couple second chance points to push the lead to 24-19 at halftime. 
 
VCU once again scored the opening points of the quarter to cut the lead back to three (24-21), but Sonia Smith and Walton responded immediately to push the lead back to seven. VCU scored the next three points, but it was all Mason from there. The Patriots scored the 16 of the next 18 points to stretch the lead to 18 (44-26), capped by five-straight points from Walton, including an emphatic three-pointer from the top of the arc. Four Mason free throws bookended a VCU three and the Patriots led 48-31 with one quarter to go.
 
A successful and-one from Habib stretched the lead to 19 at the 7:38 mark of the fourth quarter to keep the momentum going for Mason. Despite VCU edging Mason, 16-12, in the quarter, the Patriot defense never allowed a run larger than four points as it stifled any chance at a comeback en route to Mason's first victory over VCU since 2018.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• Joining Habib and Walton in double figures were Sonia Smith (11) and Paula Suárez (10). Smith also dished out a game-high four assists with two steals while Suárez grabbed five rebounds with two assists and a steal
• The Patriots won the turnover battle, 8-13, including committing just two in the second half
• Mason also tallied 19 points off of turnovers compared to just four by VCU
• The teams were knotted at 40 rebounds each, and Nekhu Mitchell contributed eight, including a game-high five offensive rebounds

 
UP NEXT
The Patriots will remain in Fairfax for a midweek matchup with Fordham on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Tip-off with the Rams is set for 7 p.m.