The George Mason High School girls varsity basketball team used an 11-4 second-quarter run to take the lead and a 16-2 third-quarter run to pull away from the Briar Woods Falcons, defeating Briar Woods 57-39 at the Mustang Gym Monday night.

Junior guard Olivia Scott scored four of Mason’s 11 second-quarter points to help the Mustangs rally from three points back and take a four-point lead into the half. A minute and 30 seconds into the quarter, senior Ashley Thompson sparked the run with a layup, followed by a slashing basket by freshman Nicole Mitchell two minutes later that gave the Mustangs the lead at 15-14. A jumper by Scott and a free throw by Annie Zweighaft extended the lead to four before Briar Woods could answer, breaking through the George Mason press to score a layup. A layup by Scott and a jumper by Zweighaft gave the Mustangs four more points, though the Falcons got two of those back on a jump shot in the half’s waning seconds.

Coming out of the locker room following the break, Mason left its opponents in the dust.

In the third, junior Bailey Walton came alive for seven of her team-high 14 points, keying the Mustangs’16-2 run, a run that spanned more than five minutes. By the time the Falcons recovered they found themselves trailing 38-20 and the outcome was all but decided.

Mason got off to a sluggish start in the first quarter, but sophomore center Kim Kenny kept the Mustangs within a point with seven points in the opening frame. She finished with 11 for the game, as did teammate Ashley Thompson. The Falcons struggled throughout to control Mason’s low post players throughout the evening. When they collapsed down to contain Kenny and Thompson, Walton and Nicole Mitchell made they pay from the perimeter. The duo combined for four three pointers in the game.

Mitchell finished the game with nine points.

For the Falcons, Carly Firestone and Kim Bell led the way with 12 points apiece, with Krysta Gardner adding six.

The Mustangs next face the Falls Church High School Jaguars this Thursday, Dec. 21 before taking a break for the holidays until Dec. 27. That’s when the team will head to the Chantilly Tournament for three days of games.