OLEAN, N.Y. – The George Mason women's basketball team used a fourth-quarter surge to outlast St. Bonaventure on the road on Wednesday night, 57-53.
 
The win marks the 12^th Atlantic 10 victory of the season, marking a new program best for the Patriots.
 
The Patriots (21-5, 12-3) were led by Ta'Viyanna Habib, who scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed a team-best seven rebounds. It marks the eighth-straight game that she has hit double-figure scoring and is averaging a team-best 13.5 points during the stretch.
 
Mason jumped out to an early 8-3 lead at the 6:36 mark with baskets from four different players. However, the Bonnies (4-22, 1-14) responded with four-straight points off of Mason turnovers to cut the lead to just one at the media timeout. Out of the break, St. Bonaventure hit three-straight three-pointers to take a 16-8 lead with 2:30 remaining. Mason hit several free throws down the stretch, but the Bonnies led by four after the first.
 
Paula Suárez hit a jumper to cut the St. Bonaventure lead back to four with 8:20 remaining in the second, but it was all Bonnies from there as they scored 12 of the next 14 points to take a 14-point lead with 1:40 left in the half. Mason scored the final four points of the quarter and trailed 34-24 at the break.
 
Trailing by nine at the media timeout, Mason scored the next four points to cut the lead to 41-36. The two teams traded baskets throughout the second half of the third as St. Bonaventure's lead dwindled to just five. Six different Patriots scored a basket in the frame in a well-balanced offense.
 
Out of the media timeout still down five in the fourth, Mason came out of the break and scored seven-straight points to take its' first lead since 3:55 in the first quarter. Habib led the charge with the Patriots' first three-pointer of the game in the run, and Kennedy Harris also hit a three to push the Mason lead back to four with 1:46 to go. 
 
A St. Bonaventure three-pointer with 47 seconds left cut the lead back to one, and Mason was unable to answer on the other end. However, the Patriot defense locked down, forcing two turnovers while drawing two fouls en route to 3-4 free throw shooting down the stretch, completing the comeback for the 57-53 victory.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• In her first game back since Dayton, Sonia Smith contributed 12 points, including going a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line, to go with three steals and two assists
• Zahirah Walton had a career-day on defense, tallying a personal best five blocks as the Patriots tallied a season-high nine on the night
• Pacing the offense was Paula Suárez, who dished out a team-high four assists with six points and four rebounds
• Mason won the turnover battle, 19-10, and turned the ball over just twice in the decisive second half
• After the Bonnies hit 4-7 three-pointers in the opening frame, the Mason defense limited them to just 1-12 in the final 45 minutes

 
UP NEXT
The Patriots will return to Fairfax for Senior Day on Saturday, Feb. 24. Mason will welcome in-state rival Richmond to EagleBank at 3 p.m.