George Mason (5-5) vs. Coppin St. (3-8)
WHEN: Saturday, 3 p.m.
WHERE: EagleBank Arena; Fairfax, Va.  
2021-22 RECORDS: Patriots (10-19, 3-12 A-10), Eagles (15-13, 9-5 MEAC)  
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads, 6-0  
LAST MEETING: Mason won, 56-49
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+ 
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network
GAME NOTES: LINK
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's basketball team returns to competition after a two-week hiatus against the Coppin St. Eagles on Saturday inside of Eaglebank Arena.
 
Mason is riding a two-game win-streak and will look to wrap up their three-game home stand with another victory before heading to Miami for the FIU Holiday Hoops Showdown beginning on Monday.
 
Tomorrow's game will be the seventh all-time meeting between the two teams, and the first since 1998. The Patriots and Eagles were scheduled to play last year, but the game was cancelled. Mason has won all six games, including four at home and two on the road in Baltimore. 
 
The Patriots (5-5) picked up their fifth-straight home win two weeks ago against American on Dec. 3, downing the Eagles from D.C., 71-59. The four-game home winning streak is the longest since the 2017-2018 season. Between Nov. 17, 2017 and Jan. 24, 2018 when the Patriots won 12-straight in EagleBank Arena.
 
Coppin State is off to a 3-8 start this season, including match-ups against two common opponents in Pittsburgh and William & Mary. Saturday's match-up will be the seventh in a 10-game stretch of away contests for the Eagles. Coppin State is 1-5 in that stretch, but most recently downed Saint Francis (Pa.), 66-57, on Sunday, Dec. 11. While Mason has been on a two-week hiatus, CSU has played three games against William & Mary, Syracuse and Saint Francis.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• Junior Taylor Jameson and senior Sonia Smith lead the way on offense, averaging 14.1 and 9.8 points, respectively, so far this season. Jameson has posted double-digit scoring performances in eight games this season and leads the Patriots with 1.2 steals/game while Smith paces the offense with 2.9 assists/game.
• Seniors Nalani Kaysia (5.7) and Jazmyn Doster (5.4) lead Mason in rebounding, contributing to 40.1 rebounds/game, a number that ranks fourth in the A-10 this season. Kaysia and Doster have also tallied eight blocks each.
• Mason's wins are in large part to its' defense, as opponents are averaging 50.6 points/game and shooting .341 from the field and just .252 from beyond the arc.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Mossi Staples leads the Eagles in several categories across the court, inclusing 14.0 points, 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Jewel Watkins just trails Staples in scoring, contributing 13.7 points per contest and is second on the team in rebounding, blocking and stealing.
 
Colleen Bucknor leads the team in rebounding at 7.7 per game with 7.3 points per game. Meanwhile, Jalynda Salley has contributed a team-high nine blocks to go along with 6.8 points at a .500 efficiency and 5.5 rebounds.
 
UP NEXT
The Patriots will travel to Miami, Fl. And the campus of Florida International University for the FIU Holiday Hoops Showdown Dec. 19-20. Mason will take on the host Panthers on Monday at noon before wrapping up the tournament on Tuesday against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at 12 p.m.