FAIRFAX, Va. (Jan. 14, 2007) – Georgia State exploded for a 24-4 run midway through the second period, holding George Mason to one field goal over an eight-minute span, en route to a 70-57 victory over the host Patriots Sunday afternoon at the Patriot Center.

Freshman guard Tabitha David (Mableton, Ga.) scored 14 of her team-high 18 points in the second half for the Panthers (10-6, 2-3 CAA), who snap a two-game skid in Colonial Athletic Association play. State also picks up its first conference road win of the season. Three other Panthers scored in double figures as senior guard Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen (St. Petersburg, Fla.) registered 14 and tied for game-high honors with eight assists.

Freshman forward RaShay Rawls (Augusta, Ga.) came off the bench to net a career-high 12. Sophomore guard Brittany Hollins (Columbia, S.C.) contributed 10 points and also had eight assists for State.

Trailing 31-20 at halftime, George Mason (7-8, 1-4 CAA) opened the second period with a 19-7 run to stake its first lead of the contest, 39-38, with 13:55 remaining in the game. Trailing 42-41 with 12:36 on the clock, Roegiers-Jensen and David combined for four 3-pointers and Rawls added five during State's decisive second half spurt that catapulted the Panthers to a 65-46 advantage with just over four minutes remaining in the game. David added her fourth 3-pointer of the period at 2:37 to maintain State's 19-point lead.

“I'm very proud of our team for the way we came back in this game,” expressed Georgia State head coach Lea Henry. “Even though George Mason came out and took the lead in the second period, we didn't get rattled. Our players stayed focused and matched [the Patriots'] intensity. Our bench played solidly too. [RaShay] has been performing very well in the past few games. We need her to continue to develop and provide the kind of spark she has been giving us off the bench. [Junior center] Vatai [Smith (Greensboro, N.C.)] has also given us some good minutes off the bench.”

Mason guard Casey Quigley scored nine of her 16 points off three 3-pointers in the final 3-1/2 minutes for the Patriots. Mason forward Tracy Ann Holness led all scorers with 19. Patriots' forward Moni Akintunde tallied 12 points and 11 rebounds. Georgia State center Marcquitta Head (Conley, Ga.) collected a game-high 13 rebounds and contributed seven points. Smith finished with five points in eight minutes.

The Panthers held a 7-6 advantage four minutes into the contest following a 3-pointer from Roegiers-Jensen. Rawls extended the advantage to 14-7 over the next four minutes, scoring seven consecutive points for State. The Panthers held Mason to one field goal over the final nine minutes en route to their 31-20 halftime lead. The Patriots' offense came from making 11-of-16 free throws during that span.

George Mason drops its second consecutive contest and loses for the fourth time in five tries. Georgia State held Mason to 17 percent shooting in the first half and four field goals in the period. The Patriots shot 34 percent overall. The Panthers shot 42 percent from the floor for the game and out rebounded George Mason, 42-34.

Georgia State, which picks up its 10th win of the season after a 9-20 mark last year, travels to CAA opponent UNC Wilmington Thursday. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Box Score

Georgia State (10-6, 1-3 CAA) – 31-39=70