DAYTON, Ohio - The Patriots women's basketball beat the Dayton Flyers 86-53 on Saturday afternoon at UD Arena. A matchup between two of the top teams in the Atlantic 10 turned into a 30+ point blowout despite the absence of Kennedy Harris.
 
With the absence of their leading scorer, the upperclassmen stepped up. Lead by co-captains Paula Suárez and Nalani Kaysia, and graduate student Ta'Viyanna Habib, the trio put up 54 of the Patriots 86 points.
 
George Mason jumped out to a hot start with Suárez and Habib combining for an 11-3 run over the Dayton. The Flyers went on a run of their own to make it a two-point game, but the Patriots finished the quarter strong.
 
The Patriots built their lead in the second quarter, holding the Flyers to just 7 points while scoring 21 of their own. Kaysia shined in the second quarter, scoring 10 of her eventual 12 points. Suárez added eight of her own in the second quarter. The Green & Gold entered the locker room up 18.
 
The Flyers held their own in the third quarter, almost matching the Patriots point-for-point, but it was too late. The Patriots scored 49 points in the second half. Zahirah Walton put up all 11 of her points in the second half, but was a major facilitator in the first half too, finishing with six assists.

PATRIOT POINTS

• Senior Paula Suárez finished with 23 points on 75% shooting and 4 assists
• Graduate student Ta'Viyanna Habib tallied 19 points on 50% shooting, adding 8 rebounds, including 5 offensive boards
• Graduate student Nalani Kaysia put up 12 points on 50% shooting and 9 rebounds
• The Patriots shot a perfect 18-18 from the free throw line

 
UP NEXT
The Patriots return home for homecoming week where they'll face inter-state rival, VCU. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5 with coverage available on ESPN+.