WILMINGTON, Del. – The La Salle women's basketball team clawed back within one possession of the lead multiple times throughout the game including cutting the deficit down to just three with under a minute to play, but George Mason prevailed in the final seconds for the 64-58 win to knock the Explorers out of the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• George Mason took an early lead over the Explorers to create as much as a six-point deficit four times. With just 22 seconds to go Kayla Spruill sunk the first three of the game to cut La Salle's deficit to three, 16-13. As time ran out the Patriots converted a two ball to increase their lead to five, 18-13, at the end of the first quarter.
• La Salle put together a 7-1 run through the first four minutes of the second frame highlighted by a Claire Jacobs three to take its first lead of the game, 20-19. Mason creeped back in over the next two minutes with the 7-5 edge to take a single-point lead into the media, 26-25. Mason tied it up twice more before putting together a 4-0 run to take a 34-30 lead into the half.
• The Patriots held the 10-5 advantage over the Explorer through the first eight minutes of the third quarter to pull ahead by its biggest lead yet, 44-35. Jaye Haynes converted the three to end the stanza to bring the deficit back down to five, 44-38, and the end of the quarter.
• An 8-2 run from La Salle to start the final quarter tied it, 46-46, with 6:33 left on the clock. Mason continued to surge forward going up by seven, 58-51, with just under two minutes to play. The Explorers answered with a 7-3 run to make it a one possession game, 61-58, with 46 seconds to play. The Patriots ended the game on a 3-0 run thanks to foul trouble for the Explorers for the 64-58 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Spruill led the scoring efforts for the Explorers with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting including 2-of-4 from deep and 3-of-4 from the foul line.
• Claire Jacobs added 10 points shooting 4-of-11 from the field, 1-of-5 from beyond the arc and 1-of-2 from the charity stripe.
• Spruill also led the rebounding efforts for La Salle pulling down 10 boards followed closely by Mia Jacobs with seven rebounds.
• Molly Masciantonio ended the game with a team-high five assists, one turnover and two steals.
• The Explorers led in points in the paint 30-26.

GAME NOTES

• The loss cuts a six-game win streak for the Explorers in the all-time series against Mason and puts La Salle at 0-1 when facing the Patriots at a neutral location.
• Spruill's two threes in the game sets her final career mark at 220 threes to lead all Explorers in program history.
• Masciantonio has recorded 19 of her 26 games with one or zero turnovers.