George Mason (17-3, 7-2 A-10) at Dayton (13-8, 7-3 A-10)
WHEN: Saturday, February 1, at 1 p.m. ET
WHERE: UD Arena; Dayton, Ohio  
2023-24 RECORDS: Patriots (23-8, 14-4 A-10), Flyers (12-19, 5-13 A-10)  
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network

DAYTON, Ohio – The Patriots will travel to Ohio to take on the Dayton Flyers on Saturday afternoon. The game is set to tip-off at 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+, with a radio broadcast on the GoMason Digital Network.

George Mason is 4-10 historically with Dayton. Dating back to the 2013-2014 season, the Flyers dominated the series early on, winning six of the first seven matchups. But, as of late, the Patriots have led the series, winning three of the last four games. The last time these two teams faced each other, the Patriots claimed a victory 78-53 win in Fairfax.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• Sophomore Kennedy Harris and junior Zahirah Walton have led the Patriots is scoring so far this season, averaging 15.4  ppg and 14.5 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
• Head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis was named to the Mid-Major Coach of the Year Midseason Watch List by Her Hoop Stats
• 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 #44.
• 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 FLYERS
The Flyers hold a 13-8 overall record and are 7-3 in the Atlantic 10. In their most recent conference matchup, they secured a 67-64 victory against Loyola Chicago, maintaining their position in fourth place in the Atlantic 10 standings.
 
Two players are currently averaging double figures in scoring, led by senior guard Ivy Wolf, who averages 17.2 points per game, ranking her second in the A-10. She leads the conference and is 15th in the nation in three-pointers per game (2.90). Additionally, she ranks second in the conference and 13th nationally in total three-pointers (61) and is second in the conference in three-point percentage (44.2%), placing her 18th in the nation.
 
Senior forward Arianna Smith contributes 12.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. She leads the conference in field goal percentage (64.4%), ranking eighth nationally. Arianna is also second in the A-10 in double-doubles (8) and ranks fourth in both total rebounds (189) and rebounds per game (9.5).
 
Another standout player is graduate student Rikki Harris, who averages 6.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while leading the team with 28 steals. Freshman guard Olivia Leung, who has earned Rookie of the Week honors this season, averages 6.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.
 
As a team, Dayton ranks fifth in the Atlantic 10 in winning percentage (61.9%). They are second in the conference in three-point percentage defense (27.0%), ranking 34th nationally. Additionally, they rank third in the A-10 in free throws made per game (13.0). Their bench also plays a crucial role, ranking third in the conference in bench points per game (22.1).
 
UP NEXT
The Patriots return home for homecoming week where they'll face inter-state rival, VCU. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5 with coverage available on ESPN+.