BOULDER, Colo. – George Mason rallied for an 87-75 win over the Drake University women's basketball team on Friday in the opening round of the 2017 Rocky Mountain Hoops Classic at the Coors Events Center on the campus of the University of Colorado.
 
Drake (2-3) was led in scoring by sophomore Becca Hittner (Urbandale, Iowa) with 20 points while redshirt sophomore Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) scored 17 points and redshirt junior Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) added a season-high 13 points. Hittner has recorded double figures in all five games this season and just missed her career-high by two points while Rhine has hit the mark in four games.
 
The Bulldogs led 31-18 after the first quarter behind six three-pointers and a 61.1 percent shooting clip (11-of-18) as a team. Junior Sammie Bachrodt (Wichita, Kan.), Dean and Hittner each knocked down two threes. Bachrodt made a three with 56 seconds left that put Drake up 18, but George Mason (6-1) ended the period on a 5-0 run.
 
The Patriots added seven more points to start the second quarter before freshman Maddie Monahan (Silver Lake, Minn.) ended the 12-0 run with a layup at the 7:29 mark. However, George Mason answered the basket with its own on the next possession. Drake struggled to score in the quarter with just nine points as the Patriots scored 23 points to lead 41-40 at halftime.
 
Out of halftime, the teams traded baskets as the Patriots led 46-44, after a layup by Rhine. George Mason went on an 11-4 run to lead, 59-48, with 3:41 left. The Patriots led by 10 points at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs ripped off five consecutive points to cut their deficit in half. Bachrodt made a tough jumper in the lane and Dean nailed a deep three to trail 67-62. However, George Mason responded with a 7-0 run and later Drake could only pull back to within seven points as the Patriots won their second game in the all-time series to lead 2-0.
 
Graduate transfer Natalie Butler led the Patriots with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds. The 6-5 UConn transfer recorded her sixth-straight double-double. Jacy Bolton and Nicole Cardano-Hillary each scored 21 points.
 
Drake closes the Rocky Mountain Hoops Classic against Mississippi Valley State (0-3) on Saturday at 1 p.m. CST in the consolation game. Saturday will be the first-ever meeting between the teams. The action will be broadcast on 1350 ESPN Des Moines with Hunter Phillips and Randy Mauro on the call. George Mason will play host Colorado (4-1) in the title game after the consolation game.