SOUTH KINGSTOWN — A missed free throw, a jump ball and a possession arrow pointing the wrong way was merely the final straw.

What came prior to that was largely what doomed the University of Rhode Island women to defeat Sunday afternoon.

George Mason matched its largest lead with 6:23 to play and held on for dear life down the stretch at the Ryan Center. The Rams left too much work to do in too little time and fell to the Patriots, 71-65, in what developed into an Atlantic 10 thriller.

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Kennedy Harris and Paula Suarez connected on the clinching free throws inside the final 16 seconds, spreading out what was just a 67-65 lead. It was the second trip to the line for Suarez in the last minute — the first offered a cracked door for URI to steal this one despite falling into a 66-50 hole midway through the fourth quarter.

“Any other game, we don’t come back,” URI coach Tammi Reiss said. “It stays at 15 or 16 and we take the loss, but today they fought. We can build on that.”

Sophia Vital’s driving layup with 22.9 seconds left capped a 15-0 run and brought the Rams within 66-65. URI had a pair of fouls to give and eventually put Suarez on the line to make the first of her two attempts. Louis Volker tied up Harsimran Kaur in the rebounding action when Suarez missed the second, and a whistle for a jump ball gave possession to George Mason with 17.2 seconds left.

“We missed the box out,” Reiss said. “If you hit, contact and hold, she comes over the back. When you don’t hit and are even to the ball, for me, it’s a missed box out.

“You’ve got to get a box out on that. You cannot give up a jump ball or an [offensive] board on that. It’s a teaching moment for them.”

More than a few fans in the crowd of 1,723 disagreed, but the end result was George Mason inbounding with a chance to make it a four-point game. Harris capped off her 18-point effort with a pair of makes at the line and Sophie Phillips missed a 3-pointer at the other end that could have given the Rams a thin final chance.

“We threw the kitchen sink at that team to try to disrupt them,” Reiss said. “It worked to a certain degree, but in the end, players make plays. Volker made a hustle play.”

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Suarez’s driving layup was the last field goal of the afternoon for the Patriots, who closed just 3 for 14 down the stretch after a 21-for-43 start. Ines Debroise scored half of her 12 points during the URI run, and Vital missed a 3-pointer from the right corner that could have tied a 66-63 game with 1:08 left.

The Rams opted for the best look available after a timeout with 38.3 seconds to play, and they ultimately never took another shot with a chance to draw even after Vital swooped down the right side.

“There was plenty of time — let’s get the best look,” Reiss said. “And then we’re going to throw our press on.”

George Mason (13-3, 3-2 Atlantic 10) overcame a 3-for-16 start in the first quarter to catch fire in the second. The Patriots built a 34-27 lead on a Suarez drive down the lane, and URI (7-10, 2-2) used a second timeout in 2:01 attempting to stop a 10-for-14 heater. The Rams faced a 36-30 deficit into halftime and found themselves in more trouble when George Mason mounted runs of 9-0 and 10-0 to build a 56-40 cushion with 2:55 left in the third.

“There was so much more game to play,” Harris said. “It was only the first half. I just needed that spark to get me going.”

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The Patriots entered solidly in the NCAA Tournament discussion and were coming off a stinging 88-86 loss to defending league champion Richmond. URI had won five straight over George Mason, including a dramatic finish in a 70-68 classic here last season. The Rams have now dropped two in a row, including their only home contest in a five-game stretch that now pivots to road matchups with VCU and Duquesne.

“It’s getting them mentally prepared no matter what,” Reiss said. “This team doesn’t really care. They don’t get too high and don’t get too low.”

GEORGE MASON (71): Zahirah Walton 8-14 4-6 22, Nalani Kaysia 0-4 2-4 2, Kennedy Harris 6-12 3-5 18, Paula Suarez 7-14 5-8 19, Ta’Viyanna Habib 0-4 1-2 1, Trinity Massenberg 0-1 0-0 0, Louis Volker 3-6 0-0 7, Nekhu Mitchell 0-2 2-2 2, Jada Brown 0-0 0-0 0, LeAire Nicks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-57 17-27 71.

RHODE ISLAND (65): Hawa Komara 7-12 0-1 14, Anaelle Dutat 0-3 0-0 0, Harsimran Kaur 8-24 0-0 17, Sophie Phillips 3-8 0-0 8, Sophia Vital 5-10 1-1 12, Ines Debroise 3-6 5-6 12, Palmire Mbu 1-3 0-0 2, Ayanna Franks 0-0 0-0 0, Katie Ledden 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 27-66 6-8 65.Halftime — GM, 36-30. 3-point FG — GM 6-12 (Walton 2-2, Harris 3-5, Suarez 0-1, Habib 0-1, Volker 1-2, Mitchell 0-1), RI 5-18 (Dutat 0-1, Kaur 1-5, Phillips 2-6, Vital 1-3, Debroise 1-2, Mbu 0-1). Rebounds — GM 39 (Walton 7), RI 39 (Kaur 14). Assists — GM 11 (Suarez 4), RI 18 (Vital 6).

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25