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It’s March Madness again, and it’s made for some heady times for the George Mason �鶹���� basketball program. The Patriots women’s and men’s basketball teams are the talk of Mason Nation and elsewhere after reaching new heights with their play this past weekend.

And both teams could ascend higher still.

“It’s a great time to be a Patriot,” men’s basketball head coach Tony Skinn said.

The second-seeded women’s team made history at the Atlantic 10 Tournament on Sunday, downing Saint Joseph’s 73-58 in the championship game at the Henrico Sports & �鶹���� Center to claim the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history.

Senior guard Paula Suárez scored 23 points and redshirt sophomore forward and A-10 Rookie of the Year Zahirah Walton added 19 as George Mason (27-5) launched itself into the Big Dance in style with its first conference tournament title.

Now in her fourth year at the helm after inheriting a program with no conference game wins and just three overall in the season before her arrival, Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis and team will now await Sunday evening’s televised NCAA Tournament Selection Show in EagleBank Arena to see where they will be paired.

“I’m really excited about how this team has come together,” Blair-Lewis said. “It speaks volumes to the camaraderie and the dedication they have to each other to come together and do something good.”

The victory is just the latest milestone for a surging Patriots’ women’s basketball team that had already set new school records this season for the most wins in the regular season (24), the longest winning streak (11 games), and for the first consecutive 20-win seasons. The team also matched a year-old mark for conference victories in a season (14) to earn its highest A-10 Tournament seeding ever.

The preseason pick to finish sixth in the conference, the George Mason men’s team did team its part in helping to make a magical basketball weekend that Patriot fans won’t soon forget. A 64-60 win at �鶹���� of Richmond on Saturday gave the Patriots a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season title for the first time ever.

Senior guard Darius Maddox tallied 15 of his game-high 18 points in the second half to pace George Mason (24-7).

“This is truly a blessing,”  Skinn said following the game. “I said when I got this job that I was going to work my butt off to get us back where we belong. It starts with our leadership. [George Mason President  boldly chose to give an opportunity to a guy who had never been a head coach. His faith and support, along with [Assistant Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics] , are a big part of how we were able to build this roster. This is what can happen when you approach things the right way. I’m so proud of our team.”

This week Skinn was named and senior Jared Billups was named defensive player of the year.

George Mason enters this week’s Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena in nearby Washington, D.C., as the No. 2 seed with its first game at 5 p.m. in Friday’s quarterfinal round. VCU will be the tournament’s No. 1 seed by virtue of its regular season win over George Mason on Feb. 22.

There’s a chance that the Patriots men’s team could also reach the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s really amazing,” Blair-Lewis said of the success both George Mason programs have enjoyed this season, “and I’m just really proud of both programs. The men’s success is success for us, and vice versa. It’s been really good for the entire university.”

Blair-Lewis was named a for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award.

Until recently, the two George Mason basketball teams had the best combined record of any program in the country, and that success hasn’t gone unnoticed, with various players and both head coaches receiving accolades of all kinds.

But neither Blair-Lewis or Skinn are putting much stock in the outside noise, especially with so much basketball still to be played.

“We haven’t been a household name in the league,” Skinn said. “We’re trying to change that narrative.”