George Mason (15-3, 6-1) vs. VCU (17-2, 6-1)
WHEN: Sunday, 3 p.m.
WHERE: EagleBank Arena; Fairfax, Va.
2022-23 RECORDS: Patriots (16-15, 8-8 A-10), Rams (7-22, 4-12 A-10)  
SERIES RECORD: VCU leads, 37-32
LAST MEETING: VCU defeated Mason, 55-45, in Richmond on Jan. 14, 2023
LIVE VIDEO: MASN/ESPN+
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network
GAME NOTES: LINK
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – In a battle of two of the top teams in the state and in the Atlantic 10, the George Mason women's basketball team will host the VCU Rams on Sunday afternoon in EagleBank Arena.
 
Both teams are having one of their best seasons to date, with matching 6-1 records in the Atlantic 10. The Patriots and Rams are both riding five-game win streaks after dropping their second A-10 contest of the season. Mason went on the road this week and picked up a gritty 57-41 win at George Washington, its' first win in DC since 2019. VCU also went on the road and downed Dayton, 73-62.
 
George Mason and VCU will match-up for the 60th time in program history as one of the Patriots' longest standing rivals, dating back to 1975. The teams have met in all but six seasons since the first meeting. The Patriots and Rams have been evenly matched over the years as the Rams hold a slight edge over the Patriots, 37-32. Mason performs the best against the Rams at home, and are 17-17 against VCU in Fairfax.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• The Patriots earned their highest-ever NET ranking on Jan. 25, breaking into the top-50 for the first time, coming in at No. 48 to place them atop the A-10
• On Wednesday, head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis was named to the Mid-Major Coach of the Year Watchlist by Her Hoop Stats
• Zahirah Walton was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on Monday, marking the fifth-straight week and six overall that a Patriot has won the award
• Walton continued her dominant play this week with a career performance at GW, posting career-highs in points (23), free throws (10), rebounds (16) and blocks (2)
• Sonia Smith leads the team with 14.9 points per game (6^th, A-10) and is third in the Atlantic 10 with 16.7 points per game against conference opponents. She also leads the team with 3.1 assists per game (10^th, A-10) 
• The Patriots lead the A-10 with 75.9 points per game (47^th nationally), an 18-point scoring margin (24^thnationally), 42.9 boards per game (24^th nationally), a 5.17 turnover margin (28^th nationally), are forcing a league best 19.2 turnovers per game and are second in 3-point defense, allowing just 25.8% (21^st nationally)
• Mason boasts one of the top benches in the country, currently sitting at 2nd nationally with 37.1 bench points per game. Walton leads the way with a team-second-best 12.2 points per game (20^th, A-10)

 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
VCU enters Sunday's matchup riding a five-win streak as a part of one of its' best seasons in program history. The Rams went 11-1 in conference play and received votes in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll in December, with their lone non-conference loss to James Madison. In Atlantic 10 play, VCU has an identical 6-1 record to Mason, with its' only loss coming at the hands of city rival Richmond by just seven points on Jan. 3.
 
Head coach Beth O'Boyle was named to the same Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Watchlist by Her Hoop Stats as head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis. The A-10 picked up a third nod with Davidson's Gayle Fulks also being named to the Watchlist.
 
The No. 1 scoring defense in the nation allows just 50.8 points per game, due in large part to its' shooting defense. The Rams lead the Atlantic 10 in opponent field goal percentage at 35.9% (20^th nationally) and three-point percentage at 22.3% (2^nd nationally). The Rams are also second in the Atlantic 10 in rebounding with 40.9 boards per game.
 
Three Rams are tallying double-figure scoring this season, led by Sarah Te-Biasu with 14.4 points per game (8^th, A-10). She also leads the team with 2.8 assists (13^th, A-10) and 1.8 steals (6^th, A-10) per game. The guard also leads the team and conference with an 87.7 free throw percentage, converting 57 of 65 attempts, and is the team-leader in three-pointers made with 40.
 
Timaya Lewis-Eutsey (13.6) and Mary-Anna Asare (11.4) also average double-figure scoring, while Lewis-Eutsey also leads the team with 12 blocks and a .503 field goal percentage (7^th, A-10) and is second on the team with 1.4 steals and 1.9 assists. Mykel Parham leads the team in rebounding with 8.0 boards per game (4^th, A-10).
 
UP NEXT
The Patriots will remain in Fairfax for a midweek matchup with Fordham on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Tip-off with the Rams is set for 7 p.m.