Rhode Island (7-10, 2-2 Atlantic 10) mounted a furious comeback but came up just short as it fell 71-65 to George Mason Sunday. The three-headed monster of Zahirah Walton (22 points), Kennedy Harris (18) and Paula Suarez (19) combined for 59 points for the Patriots (13-3, 3-2 A-10). They were the three leading scorers in the game. Rhode Island built an early lead behind its first-quarter defense, limiting George Mason to 3-of-16 shooting from the floor. That allowed the Rams to end the period with a 12-7 lead. Harsimran “Honey” Kaur had six points and Hawa Komara added four as the URI frontcourt duo combined to outscore the Patriots through the first 10 minutes. Both teams caught fire to start the second quarter, with each side scoring seven points in the opening 90 seconds. Komara had four points for the Rams while Sophia Vital added a 3-pointer. George Mason’s Zahirah Walton had five points and Paula Suarez added a driving layup during the flurry of activity. The visitors stayed hot throughout the quarter, hitting 10 of their first 14 field goal attempts. Walton had 16 of George Mason’s 29 points in the quarter as the Patriots moved ahead by as many as seven points following a 12-2 run that made the score 34-27. Ines Debroise converted a hoop-and-harm three-point play to stop the bleeding and get Rhody back within four, but a Louis Volker jumper sent George Mason into halftime with a 36-30 lead. Rhode Island quickly cut the deficit to one point in the opening minutes of the second half on a Kaur jumper and Sophie Phillips 3-pointer. However, George Mason took over from there, using a 10-0 run midway through the third to get ahead by as many as 16 points. Heading into the final period, the guests led 59-45. Trailing by 16 with 6:23 to go, Rhode Island managed to cut the lead to one point with a 15-0 run. A Debroise 3-pointer, Komara layup and old-fashioned three-point play from Vital got the Rams within 66-62 with 2:21 to go. Kaur got a block and rebound on the ensuing possession, but Rhode Island came up empty. Debroise kept fighting, getting a steal and drawing a foul for two free throws with 1:29 to go. She made 1-of-2 to make it a one-possession game, 66-63. Debroise got another steal, giving Rhody a chance to tie. A missed 3-pointer and a missed second-chance layup hurt, as the Rams came away empty. URI again came up with a defensive stop, forcing a missed layup and regaining possession with 35 seconds to go. After a timeout, Vital hit a layup with 22 seconds to go to, making the score 66-65. Needing to foul, Rhody committed three fouls in four seconds, eventually putting Suarez on the line, where she made 1-of-2. George Mason got the offensive rebound on the missed free throw, and Harris was fouled for two more free throws. She made both, helping the Patriots ice the game. Inside the Box Score Point guard Ines Debroise was exceptional off the bench, finishing with 12 points, three assists and three steals. Fellow point guard Sophia Vital had 12 points and six assists before fouling out.. Center Harsimran “Honey” Kaur had 17 points, 14 rebounds and two blocked shots. It was her sixth double-double of the season. Forward Hawa Komara scored a career-high 14 points to go with four rebounds. She reached double figures in points for the second straight game. George Mason was 17-of-27 at the free throw line. Rhode Island was 6-for-8. The Patriots had a 16-7 edge in points off turnovers. Up Next Rhode Island plays at VCU on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Game time is 6 p.m. on ESPN+. Categories: Sports