George Mason (23-5, 13-4 A-10) vs. Duquesne (18-10, 9-8 A-10)
WHEN: Saturday, March 1, at 3 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 will close out its home schedule on Saturday, March 1, as the Patriots host Duquesne for Senior Day at EagleBank Arena. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+. Prior to the game, George Mason will recognize its senior class for their dedication and contributions to the program. The Patriots (23-5, 13-4 A-10) are looking to tie their most wins in a single season (24) with a win on Saturday. 

The Patriots will welcome Wanda Durant, mother of NBA star Kevin Durant, as an honorary coach for Saturday's matchup. The first 1500 fans will also receive a "Celebrating HERstory" rally towel, and the first 300 student will recieve a "Pack the 'Bank" t-shirt!

The Patriots and Duquesne are 4-12 historically. Last season, the Patriots beat the Dukes 101-75 in Pittsburgh. But, the Dukes got the last laugh as they beat the Green & Gold in the A-10 Tournament quarterfinals, 63-62.

PATRIOT POINTS

• Sophomore Kennedy Harris and redshirt sophomore Zahirah Walton have led the Patriots in scoring so far this season, averaging 14.2 ppg and 14.9 ppg, respectively.
• The Patriots have clinched a top-3 seed in the 2024-25 A-10 Tournament
• 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 #46.
• George Mason currently is listed in the "Next 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 DUKES

Duquesne University's women's basketball team has an 18-10 overall record and a 9-8 record in Atlantic 10 play. The team averages 73.3 points per game and allows 65.2 points per game. They have made 287 three-pointers on 887 attempts, shooting 32.4% from beyond the arc, and average 10.3 three-pointers per game. They record 14.9 assists per game and score 23.5 points per game from their bench. The team has a field goal percentage of 41.5% and a free throw percentage of 66.7%.

Defensively, Duquesne forces 20.96 turnovers per game and averages 10.7 steals per game. The team records 35.4 rebounds per game with a total of 991 rebounds, including 279 offensive and 712 defensive. They commit 18.8 fouls per game and allow opponents to shoot 67.9% from the free throw line. The team has blocked 80 shots this season, averaging 2.9 per game.

Megan McConnell has played in 28 games, averaging 36.3 minutes per game, with 18.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 4.0 steals per game while shooting 48.5% from the field and 35.0% from three. Jerni Kiaku averages 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, shooting 47.5% from the field. Mackenzie Blackford contributes 7.8 points per game, shooting 39.8% overall and 36.5% from three. Gabby Hutcherson records 8.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.15 blocks per game, shooting 41.9% from the field. Kiandra Browne averages 5.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 35.0% from the field.
 

UP NEXT

The Patriots have secured a double-bye and a top three seed in the A-10 Tournament, which kicks off next week. More information and tickets can be found here.