OPENING ROUND: Record Night for Brown, Jacobs Leads Patriots in OT...

"We made it to tomorrow!!"

It's a mantra that will be heard by coaches and players all through the weekend at the 2014 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship. But the first coach to get to say it is George Mason's Nyla Milleson.

After telling her team's radio crew she aged 15 years tonight, Milleson addressed the media after George Mason's come-from-behind 85-75 win over UMass in the Opening Round game of the Tournament at the Richmond Coliseum.

"We've been in a lot of close games this year, and unfortunately we haven't been able to win many of those," Milleson noted. "But tonight they showed the pride and the heart of this basketball team."

The Patriots (8-22) were led by Taylor Brown, the redshirt sophomore who had 18 of her career-high 35 points in the first half. The 35 points were one shy of the all-time A-10 Tournament record held by Tara Boothe of former league member Xavier, who had 36 against St. Joseph's eight years ago.

Teammate Janaa Pickard followed with 18 points, going five-for-six at the free throw line in the overtime period, while Kyana Jacobs added 14, and two of the most important points, when she was fouled with 7.3 seconds remaining. What did she think about when she approached the line?

"That we weren't going to lose this game. We've worked so hard every day. The numbers don't show it, but no matter what has happened in the game before, we've always come back to work harder and harder," Jacobs noted passionately. "Today, we all wanted to show we can win games coming down the stretch."

UMass certainly gave them the opportunity, pulling out to a shocking 15-0 in the first 4:18 before the Patriots even scored. Jasmine Harris lit up George Mason, hitting three early treys en route to 19 first-half points. But though she finished with 26, Harris faltered down the stretch, hitting just two of her last 13 shots after starting the game 8-for-12.

The Minutewomen's achilles heel, in the end, was shooting that was as cold in the waning minutes as it was fiery at the outset. UMass shot 64 percent in the first 8 1/2 minutes to take a 23-8 lead. By halftime, when the Patriots had fought back to knot it up at 41-41, they were still shooting at a 60 percent clip. The second half, though, was another story.

Even having a lead much of the second stanza, by as many as nine points, UMass shot 28 percent from the floor. In the final 9:43 of regulation, they were 2-of-15 from the field, opening the door for another Mason comeback, and, in the end, free basketball.

Still, in defeat, at the end of a very difficult season, UMass head coach Sharon Dawley was upbeat about her team, their performance, and their future.

"Even without the "W", I told the ladies in the locker room I couldn't be prouder of them," Dawley said. "We don't have the wins in the season that we want, but not one day was there any quit. We gave a great effort today, it came down to who was making more shots at the end of the game, and we weren't."

The Minutewomen's three leading scorers, Harris, Rashida Timbilla with 13, and Nola Henry with 11, are sophomore, sophomore, sophomore. The team loses exactly one to graduation in forward Kiara Bomben. The Australian scored five points and grabbed five rebounds in her final college game. So, there are major building blocks in Amherst, and Dawley knows it.

"We had sophomores play great basketball, particularly three that looked like leaders out there," Dawley explained. "Because of this effort, we have a better taste in our mouth going into spring workouts."

The Minutewomen conclude the season with a 4-27 record, 1-16 in Atlantic 10 play.

George Mason sleeps quickly at their hotel, having to come right back to the Coliseum to face defending tournament champion, and #5 seed, St. Joseph's in Game 2 of our First Round Quadruple-header Thursday at 2:30.

The lineup for Thursday:

12NOON: #8 VCU vs. #9 Richmond
2:30PM: #5 St. Joseph's vs. #12 George Mason
5PM: #7 La Salle vs. #10 St. Louis
7:30PM: #6 Duquesne vs. #11 Rhode Island

The top four seeds enjoy a bye tomorrow: #1 Dayton, #2 St. Bonaventure, #3 Fordham and #4 George Washington.