Mason holds off Princeton to remain unbeaten, sweep season series

Mason preserved its unbeaten start to the season with a road-style win at Mason Arena, defeating the Princeton Vikings and improving to 12-0 overall and 8-0 in the GMC. The Comets led 30-25 at halftime and maintained the margin through a physical, closely contested game.

The outcome mattered because Mason remains perfect through its first 12 games and because the matchup was one of the conference's most anticipated. Princeton's Ari Guertin provided most of the Vikings' scoring, finishing with 21 points, while Mason leaned on a collective defensive effort and late free-throw makes to close out the game.

Play-by-play broadcaster Isaac Vargo opened the second half noting, "The Comets lead 30 to 25 going into the second half play." The Comets extended and protected that lead through the second half with repeated stops and offensive rebounds that limited Princeton to a string of missed shot attempts. Analyst Caden Winship described Mason's senior scorer this way in the fourth quarter: "She needs to take smart shots. She doesn't need to force anything up, but just take what the defense gives her." That assessment reflected Maddie Parrish's game: Parrish struggled to find her usual touch from the field but contributed key points from the foul line and finished with 16 points.

Princeton remained in the game largely because of Guertin's scoring; the broadcast noted she had reached 21 points late in the fourth quarter. Mason's Anna Habra supplied a combination of defense and offense, leaving the game briefly with a knee concern in the first half and returning to play in the second; the announcers credited her with several blocks and rebounds and said she produced a 15-point, 7-rebound line during the game. Adi Gilman gave Mason a lift from long range, reaching double figures in scoring during the contest, and freshman/underclassman Stanfield produced multiple key offensive rebounds, a steal that led to a layup, and other hustle plays that helped sustain possessions for Mason.

The game was described repeatedly by both broadcasters as physical and high-energy, with numerous jump balls, charged offensive rebounds for Princeton and contested finishes in the paint. Mason's lead reached as high as 11 late in the fourth quarter; Princeton cut the margin multiple times but could not complete a comeback. The broadcast concluded by noting the Comets' perfect record and that the win completed a season sweep of Princeton for Mason for the first time since 2018.

Mason's victory keeps the Comets atop early GMC standings and preserves their unbeaten start; Princeton's Ari Guertin finished as the game's leading scorer for the Vikings. The announcers repeatedly highlighted the matchup's physicality and the impact of second-chance points and rebounds on the flow of the game.