PHILADELPHIA – Four players finished in double-figures as the Saint Joseph's women's basketball team returned to the win column on Sunday evening, defeating George Mason, 83-69, inside of Hagan Arena.
 
Laura Ziegler paced the Hawks with 23 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists in the win. Talya Brugler returned to double-figures with 18 points, while Mackenzie Smith and Aleah Snead each added 11 points in the win.
 
Zahirah Walton led the Patriots with 28 points, securing eight rebounds and dishing two assists. Paula Suarez added 16 points in the defeat.
 
Leading by a pair with just over two minutes remaining in the opening half, Saint Joseph's (21-6, 12-4 Atlantic 10) used an 8-0 run over three possessions to increase the advantage to 10. After George Mason (23-5, 13-4 Atlantic 10) knocked down a pair of free throws, Laura Ziegler drained a triple to send the Hawks into the halftime break with a 40-29 lead.
 
The Hawk lead ballooned to as many as 20 points midway through the third quarter before George Mason ended the frame on a 20-5 run to draw within 58-53. After the Patriots cut the lead to 58-55, St. Joe's responded with a 10-0 run to increase the lead back to 13 after Mackenzie Smith buried a three-pointer from the wing. The lead stayed in double-digits the remainder of the contest as the Hawks earned an 83-69 victory to complete the regular season sweep over George Mason.
 
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ziegler recorded her 26^th game with double-digit scoring of the season. Her five assists put her to 119 on the season, the most in a single-season by a forward in program history.
• Brugler moved into fifth all-time in program history after scoring 18 points, surpassing Kim Foley (1985-89) with 1,655 points in her career.
• Snead's 11-point effort was her eighth double figure scoring game of the season. The sophomore added six rebounds in the win.
• Smith finished with six rebounds, four assists and three steals to go along with her 11 points.
• Rhian Stokes scored nine points, combining with Snead for all 20 bench points for the Hawks.
• Emma Boslet added five rebounds, five assists and two steals on her night. The graduate guard has recorded at least four assists in 12 games.
• St. Joe's finished 30-64 (46.9%) from the field, knocking down 10-of-24 from distance for 41.7 percent.
• The Hawks assisted on 21 of the 30 field goals, the 12^th time dishing at least 20 assists. Six different players registered at least two assists. SJU only turned the ball over eight times, matching a season-low.
• George Mason finished 27-56 (48.2%) from the floor, making three of its 10 attempts from distance.
• St. Joe's scored first and nearly the entirety of the contest, the 10^th time this season that the Hawks never trailed in a game.
• SJU moves to 12-2 (85.7%) at home this season and are winners of 37 of its last 45 (82.2%) inside Hagan Arena. The Hawks move to 13-6 all-time against George Mason and are winners of the last three meetings.

 
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks head on the road for the final time in the regular season on Wednesday, February 26 when Dayton hosts the Crimson and Gray in a 7 p.m. showdown.