George Mason (17-3, 7-2 A-10) at Saint Louis (8-13, 2-6 A-10)
WHEN: Wednesday, January 29, at 11 a.m. CT/12 p.m. ET
WHERE: Chaifetz Arena; St. Louis, Mo.  
2023-24 RECORDS: Patriots (23-8, 14-4 A-10), Billikens (22-18, 8-9 A-10)  
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Patriots will travel to St. Louis to take on the Saint Louis Billikens in a midweek matchup. The game is set to tip-off at 11 a.m. CT/12 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+, with a radio broadcast on the GoMason Digital Network.

George Mason is 5-9 historically with Saint Louis. The two programs had never met before the Patriots joined the A-10 in the 2013-14. Since head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis took over the reins for the Patriots, the series is tied 2-2. Last year, the Green & Gold dominated the Billikens in a 91-61 win.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• Sophomore Kennedy Harris and junior Zahirah Walton have led the Patriots is scoring so far this season, averaging 16.2  ppg and 13.8 ppg, respectively.
• Harris was named A-10 Player of the Week for the second time this season for the week of Jan. 20, 2025 after averaging 25.5 ppg on 55% shooting, 6.0 apg, and 1.0 spg
• The Jan. 2 game vs. Saint Joseph's set a George Mason women's basketball attendance record at 3,354.

• Two of the Patriots first four wins came against teams that made the NCAA Tournament in the last two years: Monmouth and Marshall.
• George Mason is currently in the "First Four Out" group per ESPN's Bracketology.
• The Patriots have only ever started the season 6-0 twice: last year and this year. In both instances, the team's first loss came to Maryland.
•  The Patriots checked in at #45 in the first NET ranking of the 2024-25 season. They then moved to #40 after their win over GW and stayed there after their wins over Georgetown and UMES. #40 is the highest NET ranking for the women's basketball program since the NET rankings debuted in 2018. They currently stand at back at #45.
• Mason returns ten letter winners and three starters from last season's squad, including captains Paula Suárez and Nalani Kaysia, last year's A-10 Rookie of the Year Zahirah Walton, and preseason third team selections Ta'Viyanna Habib and Kennedy Harris.
• The Patriots welcome four newcomers, including two transfers, to the roster: Khamya McNeal (Stetson/Syracuse) and Louis Volker (Missouri State).
• The freshman class includes Sarah Oduro and LeAire Nicks.
• Mason returns three of its top five scorers from a season ago: Zahirah Walton (11.3), Ta'Viyanna Habib (10.0), and Kennedy Harris (9.4).
• Kaysia also returns after sitting out last year due to medical reasons.
• Last season, the Patriots posted their first 20+ win season since 2017-18 when the team went 24-10.
• Prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, Mason was chosen to finish third out of 15 teams in the conference, their highest preseason pick since joining the Atlantic 10.

SCOUTING THE BILLIKENS
The Saint Louis Billikens are sitting at 8-13 overall 2-6 in the A-10) with their two conference wins coming against George Washington and Davidson. They currently sit in 12^th place in the A-10.
 
Three players are currently averaging double figures in scoring for the Billikens, led by graduate student Peyton Kennedy, who averages 13.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. She leads the team in points per game and free throw percentage. Kennedy has the best free throw percentage in the country at 95.8% after 71 attempts. Junior Brooklyn Gray averages 12.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. She leads the team in total points, made field goals, and made free throws.
 
Another notable player is senior Kennedy Calhoun, who leads the team in assists, steals, assist/turnover ratio, and averages 10.9 points per game. Calhoun is second in the A-10 in steals. Senior Tierra Simon is the team's rebound leader, and she averages 10.1 rebounds and 7.5 points.
 
As a team, Saint Louis leads the A-10 in free throw percentage and free throws made per game. They are third in the nation in team free throw percentage, shooting 81.6% from the charity stripe.
 
UP NEXT
The Patriots continue on their longest conference road trip of the year by traveling to Dayton for a matchup on Saturday, February 1^st. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. with a broadcast available on ESPN+.