BALTIMORE – The George Mason women's basketball team picked up its first win of the season Tuesday night in large part to several players who haven't worn the Patriot jersey very long.

Freshman Nicole Cardano-Hillary scored a career-high 23 points and graduate transfer Natalie Butler added 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Patriots to an 80-72 victory over Loyola (Md.) on Tuesday night at Reitz Arena. Freshman Camarie Gatling also scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench as Mason (1-1) bounced back after falling to No. 24/23 Michigan in the season opener on Friday in the first round of the Preseason WNIT.

The Patriots responded by scoring 80 points – their most in a game in two years and their most points on the road in more than three years. Against Loyola, sophomore Sarah Kaminski added 12 points and hit her fourth and final 3-pointer midway through the third quarter to put the Patriots ahead for good. Her trey was a part of a 10-0 run that sophomore Jacy Bolton capped off with a layup in transition after a steal by Butler for a 71-64 advantage with 4:09 to go.

The lead never dwindled below five after that as Mason scored 27 points and shot 52.9 percent in the fourth quarter. The Patriots also sealed the deal at the free-throw line, where the Patriots were a solid 21 of 26 (80.8 percent) for the night.

The Patriots locked into a tight contest against the Greyhounds (1-1) in the teams' first meeting in more than 22 years. Mason shook off a sluggish start and led by as many as 10 points early in the first quarter. But Loyola punched back with a strong 25-point second quarter. Delaney Connolly drained a 3-pointer with five seconds left in the half to pull the Greyhounds within one, 36-35, at halftime.

Alexis Gray, one of two Greyhounds with a team-high 16 points, knocked down a 3-pointer to open the second half and give Loyola its first lead of the game. Mason answered with five straight points from Gatling and Cardano-Hillary. But Loyola picked up steam, rattling off an 11-2 run for its largest lead of the game, 49-43, with 4:54 remaining in the third quarter.

The Patriots didn't panic, however, and Butler began to find her groove. After missing her first four shots to start the game and only scoring four points in the first half, Butler came alive after halftime. The graduate transfer from Connecticut accounted for eight points during a 10-5 run to cut the lead to 54-53 heading into the final period.

The fourth quarter started off with both teams exchanging baskets as there were four ties in the first four minutes. Then Mason broke through by scoring on five straight possessions to deliver the game-changing run. Trailing by three, the Patriots once again got the ball inside to Butler, who drew contact and knocked down a layup. She made the free throw to finish the three-point play and tie the game, 64-64, with 6:09 remaining.

That sparked the 10-0 run as Kaminski followed with the go-ahead 3-pointer on the right wing. Butler pulled down two offensive rebounds on the next possession and passed off to Gatling for a layup. Then the 6-foot-5 Butler came up with a steal that led to Bolton's layup for an insurmountable seven-point lead.

Bolton finished with seven points and eight rebounds. Butler scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds after halftime. She was 8-for-15 from the field and made 4 of 5 free throws. She also blocked two shots and had two assists and a steal.

Gatling shot 5-of-10 from the field and scored nine points in the first half. Gatling and Butler helped the Patriots outscore Loyola 30-16 in the paint and win the rebounding battle 48-35. Mason scored 21 second-chance points off 21 offensive rebounds.

The Patriots are back in action this weekend as they close out the Preseason WNIT by hosting the consolation rounds on Friday and Saturday at EagleBank Arena. Mason plays Old Dominion at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Saint Francis (Pa.) and Southeast Missouri State play at noon on Friday. The Patriots also play at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $6 a day for adults and $4 a day for children 12 and under. Admission is free for Mason students, faculty and staff and retirees with Mason ID for Friday's game. Students also get in for free for Saturday's game with a valid Mason student ID.