PHILADELPHIA – On Super Bowl Sunday, one Patriots squad made sure to notch a win against a foe from the City of Brotherly Love.

The George Mason women's basketball team shrugged off a sluggish start and then fended off a pesky Saint Joseph's for a 65-57 victory on Sunday night at Hagan Arena in a matchup nationally televise on CBS Sports Network.

The Patriots (18-6, 7-2 Atlantic 10) collected their seventh conference win of the season – their most under fifth-year head coach Nyla Milleson and their most since the 2011-12 season when still members of the Colonial Athletic Association. The 18 wins overall are their most since 2003-04.

Mason won back-to-back league road wins for the first time in seven years – when still in the CAA – and defeated Saint Joseph's on the road for the first time since Dec. 29, 2003. It was just the third win for Mason over the Hawks in 13 tries.

Graduate student Natalie Butler scored 27 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for her 23rd straight double-double, which leads the country and is the fourth-longest streak in Division I women's basketball history. She shot 10 of 20 from the field and also had three steals, two assists and two blocks.

Sophomore Jacy Bolton added 14 points as she was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Freshman Nicole Cardaño-Hillary scored 10 points.

Saint Joseph's (10-12, 5-5 A-10) never trailed in the opening half and led by as many as eight in the first quarter. Mason got into a rhythm, though, and buckled down on defense. Saint Joseph's scored just nine points in the third quarter, shooting 36.8 percent (7-of-19).

The Patriots jumped in front for the first time in the third quarter, going on an 11-0 run and holding the Hawks scoreless for more than six minutes. Saint Joseph's, however, battled back and cut the lead to 50-49 with 6:15 to go in the fourth quarter. Bolton responded right away, slashing to the rim for a layup.

The basket sparked an 11-0 run by the Patriots, including six points from Bolton. A Butler free throw with 1:29 remaining pushed the advantage to 61-49 and all but sealed the victory. The Patriots shot 50 percent in the fourth quarter and 80 percent (8 for 10) from the free-throw line in the period.

For the game, Mason was 20 of 28 (71.4 percent) at the charity stripe. Mason won the rebounding battle 43-34 and scored 19 second-chance points off 16 offensive rebounds.

The Patriots return home for a two-game homestand, beginning with Revolutionary Rival George Washington at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at EagleBank Arena.