FARMVILLE, Va. – Raven Williams matched her season-high with 19 points, but it was George Mason guard Taylor Brown who stole the spotlight with 35 points to lift the Patriots to an 83-61 victory over Longwood Monday night at Willett Hall.
 
The game-high 35 points from Brown matches her career-high and helped the Patriots win their third game in four days and improve to 8-2 this season. Meanwhile, Longwood falls to 0-11.
 
The 19 points from Williams matched her season-high and marks the fourth straight contest that the junior has scored 16 or more points. In addition, Williams filled the stat sheet with five assists to go along with five rebounds and one steal in 32 minutes of playing time. The 19 points from Williams is the second time this season the junior has finished one point shy of her career-high of 20 points.
 
"I'm doing what I can to help my team," Williams said. "I'm just attacking and making shots. I just have keep it going."
 
However, Brown, a transfer from Georgetown, started the game with 10 of her team's 15 points in the opening 5:03 to help the Patriots build an 11-point advantage. The redshirt-junior scored 22 of her game-high 35 points in the opening 20 minutes.
 
"Tonight was a tough one," said head coach Bill Reinson. "We were very passive at the beginning of the game and we didn't attack their defense at all. On the flip side, Taylor Brown started very hot. The result was a huge hole and we spent the rest of the game trying to dig out of it."
 
Jasmine Jackson (14) and Sandra Ngoie (11) joined Brown in double figures for the Patriots.
 
For the Lancers, Deborah Headen joined Williams in double figure scoring, as she scored 14 of her 16 points in the first half, including 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
 
"I just felt on today," Headen said. "I just wanted to help my team try to get a win before the break. I thought we played well except for a lull toward the end of the game."
 
The game also featured perhaps the best collegiate game from freshman Autumn Childress, who finished with four points and seven rebounds and earned praise from Reinson following the game for her effort.
 
"Autumn Childress played with great energy," Reinson said. "This was her best performance so far this season. Hopefully, it's a sign of things to come."
 
After trailing by 13 at the break, 50-37, the Lancers opened the second-half on an 18-9 run over a span of 9:18 to cut the George Mason lead to four points. The run was sparked by Williams with eight points.
 
"We showed some fight at the beginning of the second half and had the chance to make it a two-point game," Reinson said. "Unfortunately, we just couldn't get over the hump."
 
Unfortunately for Longwood, Brown scored seven of the next nine points for her squad to spark a 9-4 run in a span of 4:44 that ultimately propelled the Patriots to the win. 
 
The Lancers, who came into the game ranked third in the Big South with 5.30 treys per game, finished with a season-high 10 three-point field goals, including four apiece from Williams and Headen.
 
The game against George Mason concludes the nonconference schedule for Longwood. The Lancers will return to Willett Hall Sunday, Dec. 28 to host Gardner-Webb at 2 p.m. The contest marks the first time this season that the Lancers have hosted back-to-back games.
 
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