George Mason (22-3, 12-2 A-10) vs. Massachusetts (14-11, 9-5 A-10)
WHEN: Sunday, February 16, at 3 p.m.
WHERE: EagleBank Arena; Fairfax, Va.  
LIVE VIDEO: MASN
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network
DIGITAL PROGRAM:  LINK

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's basketball will be at EagleBank Arena on Sunday, February 16, for a 3 p.m. matchup against the University of Massachusetts. The game marks the Patriots' annual Pink Game, held in support of breast cancer awareness and sponsored by Sentara. Fans are encouraged to wear pink in solidarity with those affected by breast cancer.
 
George Mason is 10-5 historically with Massachusetts. The Patriots dominated the start of the series, winning the first five matchups. As of late, the Minutewomen have won three of the last four games. In their last meeting on January 21, 2024, George Mason secured a decisive 73-52 victory over UMass in Amherst, marking their first road win against the Minutewomen since 2019.


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 14.4 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.
• The George Mason women's and men's programs have a combined 42 wins, the most of an D1 schools in the country
• 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 #42.
• 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 MINUTEWOMEN
The Minutewomen enter Sunday's contest with a 14-11 overall record and a 9-5 mark in Atlantic 10 play. UMass has been a solid defensive team, ranking 53rd nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 58.1 points per game. They have also excelled on the boards, ranking 4th in the conference with a +4.6 rebounding margin.

Offensively, UMass averages 63.2 points per game while shooting 40.8% from the field. They are effective from beyond the arc, hitting 33.7% of their three-point attempts, ranking 5th in the A-10. However, their perimeter defense has struggled, allowing opponents to shoot 33.6% from deep, which ranks 14th in the conference.

Key players to watch include Megan Olbrys, who leads the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game and contributes 8.0 rebounds per contest, and Yahmani McKayle, who adds 13.0 points per game and leads the team in steals with 47 total. Allie Palmieri is another offensive weapon, averaging 12.4 points per game and leading the team with 55 made three-pointers on 38.7% shooting from deep.

UMass also generates opportunities on defense, averaging 7.8 steals per game while forcing 17.6 turnovers per contest. The Patriots will need to focus on controlling the boards and capitalizing on defensive weaknesses to come away with a win.
 
UP NEXT
The Patriots travel to Davidson for a Thursday evening matchup on February 20^th at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Peacock and on the GoMason Digital Network.