George Mason (12-2, 2-1 A-10) at Richmond (11-5, 2-1 A-10)
WHEN: Wednesday, January 8, at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Robins Center; Richmond, Va.  
2023-24 RECORDS: Patriots (23-8, 14-4 A-10), Richmond (29-6, 16-2 A-10)  
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network
GAME NOTES: LINK

RICHMOND, Va. – The George Mason women's basketball team will travel south to play the Richmond Spiders in a midweek matchup. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at the Robins Center and a broadcast is available on ESPN+.

George Mason is 26-40 historically with Richmond. The two teams first played in 1979, just a few years into the Patriots women's basketball program's existence. Since joining the A-10, the series stands at 4-10. The Patriots won the last matchup between the programs, 82-76.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• Sophomore Kennedy Harris and junior Zahirah Walton have led the Patriots is scoring so far this season, averaging 14.7 ppg and 11.6 ppg, respectively.
• Harris was named A-10 Player of the Week for the week of November 25, 2024 after averaging 25.5 ppg on 51% shooting, 5.5 RPG, 3.5 apg, and 2.0 spg that week
• 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.
• 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 SPIDERS
Richmond is currently 11-5, 2-1 A-10 on the season, standing 5th in the Atlantic 10. Their only losses so far this season have comes to Georgetown (55-53), #6 Texas (65-54), #18 Tennessee (92-67), Alabama (75-68), and Fordham (80-78).
 
Three players are currently averaging double figures in scoring for the Spiders. Junior Rachel Ullstrom averages 16.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. She leads the team in points, three-pointers, steals, and minutes, and was named co-Player of the Week for the A-10 conference on 11/11/24 after totaling 43 points in week one. Junior Maggie Doogan is second on the team in points per game, averaging 14.5 points and adding 5.9 rebounds per game. She is first on the team in free throws and rebounds . She was named A-10 Player of the Week on 12/9/24 after back-to-back 20-point performances.
 
Another notable player is graduate student Addie Budnik who averages 10.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. She leads the team in blocks.
 
The Spiders are 7th in the nation in field goal percentage (49.3) and three-point percentage (38.5). They're also 9th in fouls per game (13.1), 17th in three-pointers per game (9.3), a d 24th in assists per game (17.9).
 
UP NEXT
The Patriots will head north to Rhode Island where they'll take on the Rams on Sunday, Jan. 12. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. at the Thomas M. Ryan Center with broadcasts available on CBS Sports Network and GoMason Digital.