George Mason (8-2) vs. Towson (7-2)
WHEN: Friday, 12 p.m.
WHERE: TU Arena; Towson, Md. 
2022-23 RECORDS: Patriots (16-15, 8-8 A-10), Pirates (23-10, 11-5 American)  
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads, 18-12
LAST MEETING:  Towson defeated Mason, 79-75, on Nov. 27, 2016 in Towson, Md.
LIVE VIDEO: FloHoops
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network
GAME NOTES: LINK
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's basketball team will travel to Towson on Friday to close out its' non-conference schedule with a Friday matinee against the Tigers. 
 
George Mason and Towson will meet for the 31st time on Friday, and for the first time since 2016. The former CAA foes met yearly throughout the early 2000s, and they have traded wins over the last eight match-ups. Mason holds a 18-12 overall record over the Tigers, but the teams are 8-8 in Towson.
 
Both teams are looking to bounce back from road losses tomorrow, as Mason is coming off a 65-44 loss to ECU and Towson dropped a 99-51 decision at Maryland. 
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• Last week, the Patriots earned their highest-ever NET ranking since the metric debuted in the 2020-21 season. Mason earned a No. 69 ranking
• The last time out, the Patriots dropped just their second game of the season, falling to East Carolina on the road, 65-44. Both losses this season have been on the road
• Sonia Smith leads the team with 13.2 points per game, good for 11th in the Atlantic 10, and has scored in double-figures in nine out of 10 games this season.
• Smith joins Paula Suarez as the assist leaders for the Patriots this season with 3.2 and 3.3, respectively. Both have dished out a team season-high of six on separate occasions
• Showing its' depth, the Patriots rank in the top-5 nationally in bench points, with 35.2 points per game from Mason's key reserves
• The Patriots lead the Atlantic 10 in rebounding with 45.1 boards per game (16th nationally), a 5.40 turnover margin (32nd nationally) and are forcing opponents into a league best 20.9 turnovers per game (35th nationally) 
• Mason boasts one of the top defenses in the Atlantic 10 and the nation, as six players have 10+ steals and three have 15+. Nekhu Mitchell leads the way with 1.6 per game, good for 9th in the A-10

 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Towson enters Friday's game after a 10-day break, dropping its' last game to Maryland on the road, 99-51. Prior to the loss in College Park however, the Tigers were riding a six-game win-streak including most recent victories over A-10 member George Washington and common opponent American. The Tigers are 7-2 overall this season.
 
Three Tigers average double-figures so far this season, led by Patricia Anumgba with 14.2 points. She has tallied a team-high 42 field goals at a .424 clip with 11 threes and is second on the ssquad with 21 steals. Kylie Kornegay-Lucas and Quinzia Fulmore also tally 10+ points with 12.6 and 10.3 points, respectively.
 
Kornegay-Lucas leads the team is several other categories, including rebounding (8.1 per game), assists (3.9 per game), steals (2.4 per game) and blocks (5). She has tallied 10 rebounds in the last two games and notched a double-double on 10 points and 10 rebounds against American.
 
UP NEXT
The Patriots will return to their home court on Dec. 30, their first home game since a Nov. 18 win over Robert Morris. Mason will look to extend its' home win streak to six, dating back to its' last regular season game against Saint Joseph's on Feb. 22, 2023. 
 
Mason will welcome La Salle to EagleBank Arena to open Atlantic 10 play on Dec. 30, a rematch of last season's A-10 Second Round game. Tip-off with the Explorers is set for 6 p.m.