HENRICO, Va. -- Louis Volker's buzzer-beating overtime layup allowed George Mason to emerge victorious 87-85 over Dayton in the 2026 Betterment Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinals, allowing last season's championship to get one step closer in their quest to repeat.
"I did not want to lose," Volker said of her heroics. "(The moment is up there), but we have two more games to win. I'm glad we get to keep dancing, but this is what March is about. I think we're all on the same page and really excited to play tomorrow."
"As proud as I am of those who scored 20-some points, I'm super proud of Lou," George Mason coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis added. "Lou sacrifices those moments offensively to be a defensive player for us and she still can score. For Lou to end up with that last shot to win the game, I am super proud of her.
George Mason was led by its two All-Conference First Team representatives in Kennedy Harris's 22 points and Zahirah Walton's 20 points which went along with seven rebounds. Maliyah Johnson record 13 points.
"Y'all awake now," asked Blair-Lewis. "It's always that first game in the tournament you have to get going and it took us until two minutes in the fourth quarter to get our groove. They never quit or got their head down.
The Patriots shot 49.4% from the field forced 21 turnovers, scoring 26 points off of those miscues.
Dayton saw Fatima Ibrahim lead the way amassing 18 points and nine rebounds. Ajok Madol recorded 15 points, All-Conference Third Teamer Nayo Lear 14 points, Molly O'Riordan 14 points and Nicole Stephens 13 points.
"I think it was a heavyweight fight tonight," Dayton coach Tamika Williams-Jeter determined. "George Mason definitely came as the heavyweight, coached by someone I really look up to. We wanted to throw punches and we did. I wanted the players to respond because we've been through a lot this year, and they did. For us we wanted to win the battle in the paint against a team that doesn't give that up. We did that. We forced them to make a lot of tough twos. We executed pretty decently to throw punches, I have a senior group that has built culture, confidence and leaves a phenomenal foundation from where we were four years ago."
The Flyers scored 46 paint points and were 14-for-15 from the free throw line.
Both teams got off to fast offensive starts, with Dayton making five of its first six shots, while George Mason went 5-for-8.
Harris accounted for the overwhelming majority of the Patriots scoring, amassing 11 of her team's first 15 points.
Dayton shot 70% from the field in the opening quarter, but seven turnovers, which included multiple charges allowed George Mason to lead by a 20-17 margin.
George Mason faced some adversity as Walton picked up her second foul early in the second quarter. Dayton took advantage of this, and Madol went on a personal 8-0 run as the Patriots were held for 4:11 without scoring a basket. O'Riordan added a basket toward the cumulative Flyers run.
The three-point line was a huge definer for Dayton's advantage as it connected for six first-half threes, while George Mason was contained to a 2-for-10 mark, which included misses on all five second quarter attempts.
Both teams were trading scoring plays, but it was Dayton's Shantavia Dawkins who would make the last play making a layup just before the halftime buzzer sounded.
With that play, Dayton led 38-32.
Dayton set the tone in the third quarter, sticking with multiple misses, and finding an open Stephens who buried a three-point shot.
The buzzer beater started a 9-2 run, with Lear calling her own number. When the ball went through the bottom of the net, Dayton had an 11-point advantage as George Mason spent a timeout.
Mary Amoateng was able to make a shot off a Dayton turnover which got George Mason back on the attack. It was the first of six consecutive trips down the court that the Patriots were able to score.
Despite this, Dayton shot 61.5% from the field in the third quarter and were able to keep a lead and also keep George Mason away from making at the three-point line, save for a Jada Brown shot from beyond the arc in the latter stages of the quarter.
Stephens provided the quarter's final points as she was fouled attempting a three-point shot. She sank two free throws as Dayton led 63-55.
The Flyers opened the fourth quarter 1-for-5 and opted to call a timeout to get back into rhythm. Immediately coming out of that stoppage, Dayton rotated the ball out with Lear able to cut to the basket, converting a layup.
Despite foul trouble to both Leung and Madol, Dayton continued to press on. When Madol drove to the basket for another Flyers layup, the lead was restored to 10 points.
George Mason began to pick up pressure and went on a 10-0 run across 1:30 tying the game. Walton accounted for eight of the points.
Though Stephens made another pair of free throws, Amoateng had an answer and Johnson's second-chance effort provided George Mason with its first lead since the second quarter.
George Mason was able to get a stop as Dayton used all of the shot clock, getting a look that rimmed out.
The Patriots had an opportunity to put the game away at the free throw line but instead missed both free throws. Dayton had a possession and called Lear's number. Lear delivered tying the game. George Mason came up empty on the final possession resulting in the championship's first overtime.
Each side was able to answer the other until Walton had an and-one opportunity. Though she missed the free throw, Volker came down with two offensive rebounds. Dayton's defense dug in to get a stop as it tried to find an equalizer.
Dayton found O'Riordan on the inbounds pass who tied the game. Once again George Mason had the final look. Hawa Komara's original look was blocked by O'Riordan, but Volker came up with the game's biggest rebound, instinctively running towards the shot and her uncontested layup beat the buzzer.
"It was the way we came together and refused to lose," remarked Walton. "We did everything we could and never gave up. We knew this game was ours and we just had to play hard."
By advancing to the semifinals, George Mason will face either Richmond or La Salle pending the last result of Friday night's quarterfinal contests.