COLLEGE PARK — Oluchi Okananwa scored a career-high 23 points, and No. 9 Maryland beat George Mason 84-62 on Sunday to remain unbeaten.
Yarden Garzon added 16 points for the Terps (7-0), who used a 20-2 run spanning halftime to secure the final game of their season-opening homestand. Maryland has scored at least 80 points in every game this season.
Zahirah Walton had 27 points for the Patriots (4-2), who committed 21 turnovers. Maryland had a 32-15 advantage in points off turnovers.
Maryland freshman guard Addi Mack, who suffered a left ankle injury Nov. 16 against Princeton and sat out Thursday’s 95-49 rout of Bethune-Cookman, returned against George Mason. Mack came off the bench and had 12 points in 21 turnover-free minutes.
She was also on the floor to begin the second half as the Terps pulled away. Okananwa had six points as Maryland scored the first 11 points of the third quarter to open a 47-36 lead, and the Terps never led by less than eight the rest of the game.
Maryland improved to 10-0 all-time against the Patriots, who are coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance last season.
Walton made all six of her field goal attempts while scoring 13 points in the first quarter to help Mason take a 24-23 lead after 10 minutes. She quickly added two more baskets, and Jada Brown’s 3-pointer pushed the Patriots’ advantage to 34-27 with 5:36 left in the half.
Maryland’s defense then stiffened, limiting George Mason to 1 of 8 shooting the rest of the quarter. The Terps closed the half on a 9-2 run, including Saylor Poffenbarger’s transition jumper to beat the buzzer that tied it at 36.
Up next
George Mason: Plays host to Rider on Tuesday.
Maryland: Faces No. 20 Kentucky on Wednesday in Carolina, Puerto Rico.