Just like in the first Revolutionary Rivalry game this season, junior forward Caira Washington, junior guard Hannah Schaible and sophomore forward Kelli Prange stole the show in a 73-66 win in Fairfax, Va.

The Colonials finished the regular season with a 23-6 record and 13-3 record in Atlantic 10 play.

Washington was a trailblazer, amassing 10 of her 18 total points in the first half. Schaible notched a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Prange got good looks down low for 11 points.

“We still played through what our biggest strength is, and that’s sharing the basketball,” head coach Jonathan Tsipis said.

Freshman guard Mei-Lyn Bautista notched nine assists and Schaible racked up seven. Graduate student guard Lauren Chase finished with two. All fed the inside to contribute to GW’s 20 points in the paint.

George Mason (11-18, 6-10 A-10) hung with Colonials (23-6, 13-3 A-10) for the entire first frame, preventing the top-rebounding team from collecting many offensive boards. Both teams were efficient in the paint and got hot at the end of the quarter.

Both teams fired back-to-back three pointers. The Patriots put up a quick bucket to knot the game at 16 to close the quarter.

In the following frame, the Patriots revealed their kryptonite: turnovers. GW amassed 23 points off turnovers in the first half alone. George Mason only scored five points in the second quarter, marking the third-straight game in which the team scored seven points or less in the second quarter.

“Lauren Chase played really good defense on Taylor Brown and we made sure we were always in the right spots when they were setting screens,” Washington said. “Things like that on defense really helped us make them turn the ball over.”

In the second quarter, the Colonials went on a 12-0 run en route to a 19-point lead heading into the locker rooms.

GW’s defense was relentless in the first half, rolling out man-to-man coverage and a few double teams to force George Mason to take well-contested shots. The Colonials won the battle of the boards, taking a 39-32 advantage over George Mason.

In the third frame, the Patriots got fired up and cut the lead to nine with success from beyond the arc. However, GW retaliated and kicked its lead back out to 19 after a side layup from Chase and jumper from Prange.

After nine unanswered points to open the third quarter, the Patriots struggled to convert in the paint and were forced to take outside shots.

Senior guard Taylor Brown peaked from downtown, though, and notched three straight treys to get the game within six points. Even with the 10-0 run, GW switched up its defense back to man to silence Brown, who remained scoreless for the remaining two minutes and 40 seconds.

“I think the response at the end was you are going to put the game on the line with the people that, in that specific game and all year, have proven to step up big for you,” Tsipis said. “That’s what makes Caira an all-conference level player and Hannah different from pretty much anybody else in the league.”

Senior forward Jonquel Jones is still inactive, and Tsipis said she will continue to be monitored on a day-to-day basis. On Saturday, she practiced in warmups and worked on ball handling and shooting skills, according to Tsipis.

He said he should find out new information on Monday. The Colonials begin Atlantic 10 play on Friday at 11 a.m. as the No. 1 overall seed following a Duquesne loss Sunday. The Colonials and Dukes are co-regular season champions but the Colonials own the tiebreaker.