Jan. 2, 2010

The George Mason women's basketball team kicks off its 25th season of Colonial Athletic Association play on Sunday afternoon when it travels to face Towson. The Patriots are seeking their first road victory of the season. Tip time is set for 2 p.m. at the Towson Center.

Mason is coming off a 74-54 loss at Appalachian State on Wednesday which dropped the Patriots' record to 7-4. Prior to that, the Patriots had won two straight games, part of the school record 7-0 start at home this season. Brittany Poindexter leads the Mason offense with 13.2 points per game and is second in the CAA, shooting 55.6 percent from the field, a category in which she ranks top-20 nationally. Freshman Amber Easter, who is second on the team in scoring, also ranks eighth in the conference in rebounding (7.2 rpg).

Towson comes into Sunday's game with a 6-5 record. Most recently, the Tigers fell at Rhode Island, 52-46, on Dec. 22 which snapped a four-game win streak. Towson is led on offense by Shanae Baker-Brice, who is fifth in the CAA with an 18.2 points-per-game scoring average. Kandace Davis leads the Tiger rebounders as she is averaging 6.3 boards per outing.

The Patriots have compiled an 11-13 record in Colonial Athletic Association openers, dating to their first season in the CAA in 1985-86. Last season, the Patriots fell to JMU, 90-65, in their conference lid-lifter. Mason last won a CAA opener in the 2006-07 season, a 67-61 win at Northeastern on Dec. 5.

Following Sunday's game, Mason is back in action at the Patriot Center on Thursday night, hosting Delaware at 7 p.m.