GLEN ALLEN, Va. -- George Mason women’s basketball has reached new heights over the course of the season.
The Patriots have reached a program high in wins (27), reached the A-10 semifinals for the first time in history and then advanced to Sunday’s A-10 Championship game for another GM women’s basketball first.
And the Patriots’ 2024-25 season keeps getting sweeter.
George Mason (27-5) captured the Patriots’ first-ever A-10 Women’s Basketball Championship title in its 73-58 victory over the Saint Joseph’s Hawks.
“I think it’s really special. Coming in my freshman year, it was not like this before [GM] coach [Vanessa Blair-Lewis] got here. She’s the reason I came here,” Zahirah Walton said. “The coaches made it very special, and I think as a team we’ve worked hard and that’s what makes it even better – winning the championship together.”
As the final minutes winded down, George Mason fans chanted Paula Suárez's name. Fans cheered her on as she led the Patriots with a team high 23-points in Sunday’s win.
“It’s just really exciting seeing where the program was and how quick it had changed and over the past few years we’ve been on the top,” Suárez said. “So it’s just really exciting seeing where we are right now.”
George Mason and Saint Joseph’s (23-9) entered halftime knotted at 27. In the third quarter, Walton nailed a three-pointer on a pass from Suárez to give the Patriots their first double digit lead of the day. A minute later, Walton, the A-10 Championship’s Most Outstanding Player, added two free throws. Suárez closed out the third with a bucket capped a 10-run to close out the third.
The Patriots shot 90.9 percent from the field in the third quarter. George Mason ended the game 24 of 48 from the field (50 percent) and 6 of 15 from 3-point range (40 percent).
All-Championship team selections Suárez (23), Walton (19) and Nalani Kaysia (11) reached double digits. Kennedy Harris also scored 11 points. Walton and Kaysia eached grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
Sunday was the third meeting between Saint Joseph’s and George Mason this season. Saint Joseph’s had won the previous two matchups.
“We didn’t lose to Saint Joseph’s both times because we didn’t have the talent to win. We lost because we didn’t have the heart in those games to win. We got outworked,” Blair-Lewis said. “And so today was about being faithful with 40. For 40 minutes, let’s be faithful with the 40.”
Saint Joseph’s fought back in the fourth quarter. The Hawks kicked off a 15-4 run that lasted from 7:25 to 1:26. Laura Ziegler, an All-Championship team selection, made a layup off a GM turnover, which made it a six-point game.
The Patriots responded with a 9-0 run to close out the championship.
“Coming off two really thrilling games to lead us up to this point, very proud of the position we put ourselves in. And then the third quarter happened. It’s really tough when a team is shooting 90 percent,” Saint Joseph’s coach Cindy Griffin said. “... Credit to George Mason and coach Vanessa, their kids came out and shot the ball really well in a timely manner.”
Mackenzie Smith, an All-Championship team selection, scored a Hawks-high 19 points. Ziegler scored 18 points and Talya Brugler scored 10 points.
ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
Nalani Kaysia, George Mason
Paula Suárez, George Mason
Zahirah Walton, George Mason (Most Outstanding Player)
Mackenzie Smith, Saint Joseph’s
Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph’s