George Mason (18-3, 9-1) vs. Saint Joseph's (21-2, 10-1)
WHEN: Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
WHERE: EagleBank Arena; Fairfax, Va.
2022-23 RECORDS: Patriots (16-15, 8-8 A-10), Hawks (20-11, 9-7 A-10)  
SERIES RECORD: Saint Joseph's leads 10-6
LAST MEETING: Mason defeated Saint Joseph's, 65-60, in Fairfax on Feb. 22, 2023
LIVE VIDEO: NBC Sports Digitial/Peacock
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network
GAME NOTES: LINK
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's basketball team returns to Fairfax tomorrow night for a critical matchup with Saint Joseph's in a battle for the top spot in the Atlantic 10.
 
Both teams are riding eight-game win streaks, with the last loss coming at the beginning of the Atlantic 10 schedule. The headline of the matchup is the teams' home and away schedules, as Mason is undefeated in Fairfax this season and Saint Joseph's is undefeated in road matchups.
 
The last time out, Mason downed Loyola Chicago on the road behind another strong defensive effort, 61-52. Saint Joseph's won at home this past weekend, downing Massachusetts 77-67.
 
Thursday night's game will mark the 17th meeting in program history between the two teams. Overall, Saint Joseph's leads the series 10-6, but Mason has won four of the last five meetings, including last year's regular season finale. The two teams have been evenly matched since Mason entered the Atlantic 10 in 2014, with the Hawks holding a slight 6-5 edge in conference matchups.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• The last time out, Mason downed Loyola Chicago 61-52. The Patriots now have the second-best scoring defense against conference opponents in the league, allowing just 52.3 points per game, including 47.8 over the last five
• Against the Ramblers, Taylor Jameson filled the stat sheet with 14 points, with a career-best eight free throws, four assists, a block and a season-high seven rebounds
• Sonia Smith leads the team with 15.0 points per game (7^th, A-10) and is fifth in the Atlantic 10 with 16.4 points per game against conference opponents. She also leads Mason with 3.3 assists per game (10^th, A-10) 
• The Patriots lead the A-10 with a 16.8-point scoring margin (25^th nationally), 42.0 boards per game (22^ndnationally), a 5.14 turnover margin (26^th nationally), and are second with 73.4 points per game and in 3-point defense, allowing just 26.0% (19^th nationally)
• Mason boasts one of the top benches in the country, currently sitting at 3^rd nationally with 34.1 bench points per game. Zahirah Walton leads the way with a team-second-best 11.5 points per game.

 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Saint Joseph's is in the midst of one of its' best seasons in program history, amassing a 21-2 record, including 10-1 in Atlantic 10 play and one of the nation's best road records at 11-0. The Hawks have dropped games to Utah and Richmond, both at home, and are riding an eight-game win streak, with their last loss coming on Jan. 6.
 
Four Hawks score in double-figures and account for a majority of the team's scoring, led by Talya Brugler with 16.9 points per game (2^nd, A-10). Laura Ziegler is second on the team with 14.5 points per game (8^th, A-10) and leads the team with 9.9 rebounds per game (2^nd, A-10). Ziegler also leads the team with 2.8 assists (15^th, A-10) and 1.0 blocks (9^th, A-10).
 
Mackenzie Smith (12.6) and Chloe Welch (10.8) also average double-figure scoring for the Hawks. Smith also leads the team with 1.3 steals and 36 made three-pointers this season, while Welch leads the team with a .846 free throw percentage (3^rd, A-10) on 55 of 65 attempts and is second with 5.4 rebounds per game.
 
As a team, Saint Joe's boasts the second-best scoring defense in the conference, allowing just 53.7 points per game (7^thnationally). The Hawks have also shot the ball extremely well on the other side of the court, converting a conference-best 80.0% of their free throws and a conference-second-best 45.2% of their shots from the field. SJU also leads the league with a 1.16 assist/turnover ratio.
 
UP NEXT
Mason will get back on the road this weekend to take on Dayton in Ohio. Tip-off with the Flyers is set for 12 p.m.