WILMINGTON, Del. – With her day done, Amaya Scott walked to the George Mason bench and embraced her coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis, picking her off the floor in excitement.
The Patriots advance to Thursday evening’s Second Round nightcap when it faces No. 6 Fordham at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
A week ago against Saint Louis, Mason was held to 35 points, but Wednesday the Patriots were able to best the Billikens 65-50 in the 2022 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship First Round at Chase Fieldhouse.
“We knew the first time around that we played them, we didn’t play our best and come out the way we wanted to,” George Mason forward Tamia Lawhorne said. “We knew when we saw them again it was going to be different. I feel like we prepared this week to come in and get a win.”
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th-seeded George Mason was led by forward Tamia Lawhorne, who achieved a career high in both points (24) and 3-point baskets (6). Center Jazmyn Doster scored 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and also grabbed seven rebounds. Scott scored 11 points and was the team’s emotional leader, encouraging those on the court and forcing multiple Saint Louis miscues.
George Mason also scored 19 points off of 13 Saint Louis turnovers and, as a team, shot 46.7 percent from the field.
“There are three seasons in every season, but it’s also a time to paint your own canvas,” Blair-Lewis said. “You get a chance choose to stay or choose to go. Tonight, our ladies painted our canvas and they chose to stay.”
Julia Martinez paced seeded Saint Louis, seeded 11th, with her first double-double of the season. Her 16 points were one off a career high while her 13 rebounds matched a personal best. In addition, All-Conference Second Team selection Ciaja Harbison scored 12 points in her final game as a Billiken. Brooke Flowers added 11 rebounds and a career high eight blocks.
“Not the game we wanted,” Saint Louis coach Lisa Stone said. “They beat us in every facet of the game and, unfortunately for us, we didn’t answer back like we needed to in the second half.”
George Mason scored six of the game’s first eight points with Scott, who was responsible for two of those baskets. Saint Louis would counter with an 8-0 run to close out the first quarter with each basket coming from a different Billiken. Sevval Gul’s jumper ended the scoring, as Saint Louis led 14-8 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, Lawhorne opened the scoring with a 3-point basket for George Mason, but Saint Louis’ Peyton Kennedy had the counter matching the triple. It was a seven-point lead for the Billikens, but the team was experiencing foul trouble with Flowers picking up her second and moving to the bench.
In the meantime, George Mason scored the final four points of the half, tying the game at 26.
Lawhorne opened a second consecutive quarter with a 3-point shot and then her pullup jumper allowed the Patriots to open up a 6-0 run to build some momentum. Doster had a breakout third quarter, scoring eight points as she found a consistent turnaround shot open ,which she converted on three consecutive trips down the court.
When Saint Louis cut the deficit to three points, Taylor Jameson found success from 3-point range to keep momentum on George Mason's side. It would be an eight-point Patriots lead following three quarters of play.
Once again, Lawhorne opened a quarter with a 3-point basket and then George Mason drew a charging foul. Following the foul, Lawhorne again found success, converting from deep.
Saint Louis tried to pressure George Mason on defense, but it was to no avail as the Patriots began to pull away, securing their first victory in Atlantic 10 Championship play since 2018.