WHAT: George Mason Women's Basketball at FIU Holiday Classic
WHEN: vs. Drexel, Tuesday, 2 p.m.; at FIU, Wednesday, 2 p.m.
WHERE: FIU Arena, Florida International University, Miami, Fla.
RECORDS: Mason (7-5, 1-0 Atlantic 10), Drexel (7-2, 0-0 CAA), FIU (1-8, 0-0 Conference USA)
SERIES RECORD VS. DREXEL: Drexel leads 12-7
SERIES RECORD VS. FIU: FIU leads 1-0
LAST MEETING VS. DREXEL: Drexel defeated Mason 57-46 on Feb. 21, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pa.
LAST MEETING VS. FIU: FIU defeated Mason 73-59 on Dec. 29, 2006 in Miami, Fla.
LIVE STATS FOR BOTH GAMES: Click Here
LIVE VIDEO (ONLY VS. FIU):
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FAIRFAX, Va. – After a week off, the George Mason women's basketball team heads to sunny Miami for a two-game tournament.
Hoping to add to the momentum they generated before the break, the Patriots hit the hardwood to close out their non-conference schedule with the FIU Holiday Classic, hosted by Florida International University in Miami. Mason plays former CAA foe Drexel on Tuesday before concluding the tournament against host FIU on Wednesday. Both games are scheduled to tip-off at 2 p.m. each day at FIU Arena.
Mason (7-5) has won two straight and four of its last five. The Patriots are coming off a 68-64 overtime victory against Navy on Dec. 20 at the RAC in Fairfax.
Redshirt sophomore
Casey Davis had a career night with her first career double-double thanks to 16 points and 16 rebounds – both career highs. Redshirt senior
Kara Wright also scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds and
Tiffany Padgett added 11 points and six rebounds.
The Patriots held on despite a furious comeback from Navy, which erased a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit and hit a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation. But Davis scored on an offensive putback on the team's first possession of overtime to give Mason the lead for good. The defense held Navy to just four points in overtime and Wright made two free throws with six seconds left to seal the victory.
Mason will open the FIU Holiday Classic against a familiar foe, but one it hasn't played in more than three years. The Patriots have played Drexel 19 times, all coming back when Mason was still in the Colonial Athletic Association before joining the Atlantic 10 Conference prior to the 2013-14 season. Drexel leads the all-time series 12-7, with the Dragons winning the teams' most recent meeting 57-46 on Feb. 21, 2013 in Philadelphia.
Drexel (7-2) rides a four-game winning streak into Tuesday's matchup. The Dragons boast a national RPI ranking of 38 and last month knocked off then-No. 11 Syracuse, which reached the NCAA national championship game last year.
Seniors Sarah Curran (14.6 ppg), Jessica Pellechio (12.9) and Meghan Creighton (11.2) average double figures scoring. Creighton is also tied for sixth in the country with a 52.3 3-point shooting percentage. Drexel leads the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in 3-point shooting percentage (.364) and 3-pointers made (82). The Dragons have reached the WNIT the last two seasons and were picked to finish third in the CAA in the preseason coaches poll.
Mason has played FIU only once – 10 years ago. The Panthers defeated Mason 73-59 on Dec. 29, 2006 in Miami. FIU (1-8) has lost four straight. Sophomore Kristian Hudson (11.4 ppg) and freshman Alexis Gordon (11.1 ppg) lead the Panthers.
