George Mason (21-3, 11-2 A-10) vs. Rhode Island (13-12, 8-4 A-10)
WHEN: Wednesday, February 12, at 7 p.m.
WHERE: EagleBank Arena; Fairfax, Va.  
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network
DIGITAL PROGRAM:  LINK

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's basketball team hosts the Rhode Island Rams for their second matchup of the season on Wednesday, February 12^th, at 7 p.m.
 
George Mason is 5-7 historically with Rhode Island. The two teams first played when the Patriots joined the A-10 in the 2013-14 season. Earlier this season, the Patriots bested the Rams on national television, 71-65. The Rams had won the previous five matchups before the last game.
 
Last time out, the Patriots overcame a late push from the Rams thanks to three near 20-point performances from redshirt sophomore Zahirah Walton, sophomore Kennedy Harris, and senior Paula Suárez. The Patriots turned the ball over just eight times in that game.
 
PATRIOT POINTS

• Sophomore Kennedy Harris and redshirt sophomore Zahirah Walton have led the Patriots in scoring so far this season, averaging 14.8 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
• The Patriots have recoded their fasted season to 20 wins after their win against VCU.
• 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.
• 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 #41.
• George Mason currently is listed in the "First Four Out" group in the NCAA Tournament per ESPN's Bracketology.
• Two of the Patriots' first four wins came against teams that made the NCAA Tournament in the last two years: Monmouth and Marshall.
• Prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, Mason was picked to finish third out of 15 teams in the conference, their highest preseason pick since joining the Atlantic 10.
• 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.
• Last season, the Patriots posted their first 20+ win season since 2017-18 when the team went 24-10.

 
SCOUTING THE RAMS
The Rhode Island Rams are on a two-game winning streak, most recently beating Dayton, 57-36. Sitting at 13-12 overall (8-4 in the A-10), the Rams are 5-6 on the road coming into Wednesday.
 
Two players are currently averaging double figures in scoring for the Rams, led by transfer center Harsimran Kaur, who averages 12.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Harsimran ranks third in the A-10 in double-doubles with eight and sixth in rebounds per game (8.0). Senior guard Sophie Phillips averages 10.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. She is ranked first in the conference and 17th in the nation for three-point attempts (174) and eighth in the conference for three-point percentage (31.6%).
 
Another notable player is Anaelle Dutat, who's second on the team in rebounds per game (7.2) and averages 7.6 points per game. She is ranked eighth in the A-10 and 101st in the nation for rebounds per game. She also leads the team in steals (39). Sophia Vital averages 6.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. She leads the team in assists (4.1), ranking her fifth in the A-10 and 114th in the nation.
 
As a team, Rhode Island currently boasts the best blocking team in the Atlantic 10 conference, averaging 4.3 per game as a team, ranking them 38th in the nation. The Rams are also second in the conference in rebounds per game (39.4) and rebound margin (8.3).
 
UP NEXT
The Patriots will host UMass for the final time as conference foes on Sunday, February 16. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. at EagleBank Arena with broadcasts available on MASN and GoMason Digital.