GAME DETAILS

Saint Louis 61, George Mason 50

Thursday, January 28, 2016 | 7 p.m. (ET)

EagleBank Arena | Fairfax, Virginia

THE BASICS

--Jenny Vliet scored a career- and game-high 17 points to lead Saint Louis to a 61-50 Atlantic 10 Conference victory over George Mason Thursday night at EagleBank Arena.

--The Billikens improved to 17-4 for just the second time in program history – matching the 1979-80 team – and 7-1 in the A-10, good for a second-place tie with St. Bonaventure. The 7-1 conference start is the best in team history.

--The victory pulled the Bills to within one win of tying program records for total victories (18) and road victories (nine) in a season.

--The Billikens extended their school-record winning streak in conference games to seven.

--George Mason fell to 8-13, 3-5.

HOW IT HAPPENED

--Saint Louis jumped out to first-quarter leads of 5-0 and 10-2, and the Billikens held a 14-11 advantage at the end of the first 10 minutes.

--George Mason took its only lead of the first half, 15-14, with two early baskets in the second quarter.

--SLU answered with an 11-2 spurt, scoring on four straight and five of six possessions, to go on top 25-17.

--A 9-2 run pulled George Mason to within a point, 27-26, before Jackie Kemph's late bucket gave Saint Louis a 29-26 halftime edge.

--Mason scored on its first two possessions of the third quarter to grab a 30-29 lead, but SLU responded as it did in the second stanza. Jenny Vliet hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to spark a 9-0 run that put the Billikens ahead 38-30.

--After the Patriots drew to within three points twice late in the period, Jamesia Price recorded two late field goals to give Saint Louis a 44-38 lead.

--The Billikens gradually pulled away in the fourth quarter, building a 12-point cushion before finishing with the 11-point margin of victory.

BILLIKEN NOTABLES

--Saint Louis limited George Mason – which entered the game leading the A-10 in free throws made (15.5 per game) and attempted (21.3 per game) – to 12-of-15 from the stripe.

--The Billikens out-rebounded the Patriots 37-33.

--SLU earned an 18-8 advantage in points in the paint and a 16-10 edge in second-chance points.

--Jenny Vliet shot 5-of-6 from the field overall, 3-of-3 from 3-point range and 4-of-4 from the foul line. Vliet netted 12 of her 17 points in the second half. She added four rebounds, including a season-high-tying three offensive boards.

--Jackie Kemph tallied 16 points – 10 in the second half – and a game-high four assists.

--Sadie Stipanovich registered 12 points and a game-high-tying seven rebounds, including a game-high four on the offensive glass.

--Denisha Womack and Jamesia Price collected six and five rebounds, respectively. Price added two steals.

GEORGE MASON LEADERS

--Kara Wright, 13 points, three assists; Taylor Brown, 11 points; Tiffany Padgett, nine points, five rebounds; Bridget O'Donnell, seven rebounds; Kristi Mokube, eight points.

UP NEXT

--The Billikens stay on the road to take on A-10 leader (8-0) and defending champion George Washington Sunday, Jan. 31. Tip time from the Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D.C., is 1 p.m. (CT).