2023-24 Women's Basketball

Pablo

Hall of Famer

"George Mason continues to make history, as the Patriots are 7-0 and off to their best start in school history. Their #2 ranking this week is their highest in the three-year history of this poll."

"2. George Mason


Previous Rank: 5

Record: 7-0

Past Week: W at American, W at Coppin State"
 

MasonFanatic

Moderator
Staff member
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
The women's team is 7-0 heading into their first really tough test at Maryland on Sunday. Really impressive start to the season.

This just hit my inbox:

‐-------

Take a Mason Road Trip!

Join the Patriot Club on a road trip as the Patriots take on the Maryland Terrapins in College Park! Come support the George Mason women's basketball team as they look to extend their unbeaten streak to eight as they take on BIG10 powerhouse University of Maryland.​

Mason vs. Maryland
Sunday, December 3, 2023
Tipoff at 1:00 p.m.
$25 per person
$15 for AND 1 members

Price includes transportation and a ticket to the game

The bus will depart at 10:00 a.m. from the Field House and will return to Mason immediately after the game.

Contact Taylor Bosket to purchase your seat at

tbosket@gmu.edu or at 703-993-4112
 

Pablo

Hall of Famer

2023-24 Women's Basketball Standings
SCHOOLCONFCPCT.OVERALLPCT.STREAK
George Mason0-0.0007-01.000W7
Saint Joseph's0-0.0006-01.000W6
Richmond0-0.0006-1.857W6
vcu0-0.0006-1.857W3
Davidson0-0.0005-1.833W3
Saint Louis0-0.0003-1.750W3
Fordham0-0.0005-2.714W3
Rhode Island0-0.0005-2.714W2
Duquesne0-0.0003-2.600L1
La Salle0-0.0003-2.600W1
Dayton0-0.0004-3.571W3
George Washington0-0.0003-4.429L4
St. Bonaventure0-0.0002-4.333W1
Loyola Chicago0-0.0002-5.286L3
UMass0-0.0001-7.125L7
 

Pablo

Hall of Famer

"George Mason (7-0) vs. RV/24 Maryland (5-3)
WHEN:
Sunday, 1 p.m.
WHERE: XFINITY Center; College Park, Md.
2022-23 RECORDS: Patriots (16-15, 8-8 Atlantic 10), Terrapins (28-7, 15-3 Big Ten)
SERIES RECORD: Maryland leads, 7-0
LAST MEETING: Maryland defeated Mason, 88-51, on Nov. 7, 2022 in Fairfax, Va.
LIVE VIDEO: B1G Network
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network
GAME NOTES: LINK

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's basketball team will once again put its' unblemished record on the line this weekend when it travels to nationally-ranked Maryland on Sunday.

Last season, Maryland downed Mason in Fairfax, 88-51. The Terrapins have won all seven meetings in program history, including all three meetings in College Park. It will be the second-straight year the two teams are meeting after a 10-year hiatus.

The last time out, Mason continued the best start in program history with a dominant 70-38 win on the road at Coppin State to move to 7-0. Similarly, Maryland hosted Niagara in College Park, picking up a 114-44 victory to improve to 5-3.

PATRIOT POINTS
  • Sonia Smith leads the Patriots with 13.3 points per game (15th, A-10) and has tallied double-figures in every game this season. She also leads the team with 3.6 assists per game
  • Sophomore Nekhu Mitchell leads the team with 6.0 rpg (15th, A-10) and 1.9 steals per game (8th, A-10), anchoring a strong Patriot defense that forces opponents in 20.4 turnovers per game for a turnover margin of 6.43 (30th nationally)
  • Freshman Kennedy Harris ranks third on the squad with 10.4 ppg. Leading to those points are a team-best 10 made threes at .435 (14th, A-10) and a team-best 14-15 free throws at .938 (5th, A-10)
  • The Patriots lead the Atlantic 10 with 43.7 rebounds per game (37th nationally) and are second with 15.1 offensive rebounds per game (49th nationally)
  • Head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis has continued to flex her team's depth this season, and the Patriots rank No. 9 in the country in bench points per game at 36.0

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Maryland remains in the national polls this week, sitting at No. 24 in the coaches poll and receiving votes in the AP poll. The Terps sit at 5-3 on the season, with all three losses coming to ranked opponents, including South Carolina and Connecticut. However, Maryland is currently on a three-game win streak with two wins at the Cancun Challenge over Green Bay and Massachusetts and a convincing 114-44 home victory on Wednesday against Niagara.

Preseason All-Big Ten selection Shyanne Sellers leads Maryland's offense with 16.9 points and 5.0 assists per game. She has hit a team-high 42 field goals at a .438 clip and is just about automatic at the free throw line, hitting 43 of 49 attempts on the season. She has also tallied a team-best 16 steals and five blocks and is second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game.


Three other Terps also average double-figure scoring: Jakia Brown-Turner (11.1), Brinae Alexander (10.8) and Bri McDaniel (10.8). Brown-Turner is also the team lead in rebounding with 5.4 boards per contest. Alexander leads the team from beyond the arc with a team-high 23 made threes at 44.2% while matching Sellers for the lead in steals with 16.

UP NEXT
The Patriots will be back in action next Saturday, Dec. 9, at head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis' alma mater, Mount St. Mary's. Tip-off with the Mount is set for 1 p.m."
 
OP
jessej

jessej

All-American
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
Mason over Maryland
21-14
End of Q1

Mason up
42-33
At the half

Maryland up
59-54
End of Q3

GMU led until about midway thru Q3
Shooting percentage dropped off
Maryland bigs began to control the boards
And Sellers upped her game

Likely the most competitive game in this series

Hopefully they can learn and build up on today's game
 

Pablo

Hall of Famer

"Coming out of the half, Maryland outscored George Mason 26-12, building its largest lead of the game as Shyanne Sellers beat the buzzer to end the third quarter and give the Terps a five-point lead, their biggest advantage of the game. Maryland continued its offensive hot streak in the fourth quarter, helping the Terps outscore the Patriots 53-35 in the second half.

Sellers played a stellar contest, recording her first double-double of the season (fourth of her career) by scoring a career-high 28 points and collecting a career-high 13 rebounds.

Faith Masonius and Brinae Alexander joined Sellers in scoring 10 or more points. Masonius played a significant role off the bench, pouring in a season-high 15 points on a 5-of-10 shooting performance from the field. Alexander tallied her third consecutive outing of scoring in double figures, racking up 12 points along with four boards.

For the Patriots, Zahirah Walton recorded a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds and Taylor Jameson tied her career high with 16 points. George Mason falls to 7-1 with the loss."
 

psyclone

Hall of Famer
Respectable loss. Gave up 53 pts in 2d half.


Maybe some coverage in the Washington Post? (if there are personnel available after NFL/Commanders write-ups).
Voila!

 

Pablo

Hall of Famer

"COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The George Mason women's basketball team battled the nationally-ranked Terrapins on the road, but ultimately fell 86-77 in its' first loss of the season.

Despite the loss, the Patriots (7-1) made great strides against Maryland, falling by single-digits for the first time and scoring the most points in the series matchup. The 77 points are the second most points scored against a Big Ten opponent in program history and the most since Mason scored 78 in a 2019 victory over Penn State."

"PATRIOT POINTS

  • Nekhu Mitchell (10) and Taylor Jameson (16) both matched their season-high point totals. Jameson also tallied a season-high four three-pointers while shooting 50% from the field
  • To go with the eighth 20-point performance of her career, Sonia Smith also added a team-best four assists and a season and game-high three steals
  • Zahirah Walton's 18 points came as a result off a career-high six field goals and six made free throws
  • Kennedy Harris and Paula Suárez both dished out three assists. The number is a career-high for Harris
  • The Patriots limited Maryland to just 26.7% (4-15) from three-point range"
 
Is it too soon to believe that Mason could play in its first NCAA women's basketball tournament this season?
Actually no imo- The recent game against UMD shows that for the first time in ages (maybe ever) this team can compete with higher level competition (for reference UMD ladies were rated as 43 in the recent women's NET ratings, Mason was 84). In an A-10 that is much better rated at the top on the women's side, no f**king up the remainder of the non con and maybe pulling together a top four finish with a run to the semis would put us in a genuine at-large bid and at the very least an NIT spot.
 

psyclone

Hall of Famer
Actually no imo- The recent game against UMD shows that for the first time in ages (maybe ever) this team can compete with higher level competition (for reference UMD ladies were rated as 43 in the recent women's NET ratings, Mason was 84). In an A-10 that is much better rated at the top on the women's side, no f**king up the remainder of the non con and maybe pulling together a top four finish with a run to the semis would put us in a genuine at-large bid and at the very least an NIT spot.
Some statistical perspective from recent history on the chances of A10 women's bb teams playing in the post-season"

"Since 2011-12, the Atlantic 10 has sent 62 teams to the postseason, including multiple squads to the NCAA Tournament in seven of the last ten seasons. Across that 12-year time frame, the A-10 has seen 20 appearances in the NCAA Tournament by current member institutions, nine of which have come via at-large bids. The A-10 has had at least four teams qualify for postseason play every year of the past decade with 13 of the 15 current members having made the postseason during that span."
 

Pablo

Hall of Famer

PATRIOT TRIVIA​

F_PrX_AaQAAl_US.jpeg

Entering tomorrow’s game in Emmitsburg, Mason brings one of the deepest teams into the weekend.
The historic start is helped by 36 points per game off the bench for the Patriots, which leads the Atlantic 10.
Where do the Green & Gold rank nationally in that category?

TRIVIA ANSWER​

Screenshot_2023-12-07_at_8.44.09_AM.jpeg

Answer: 5th.
Averaging 36 points per game off the bench, the Green & Gold rank fifth in the country and lead the A-10 in that category. The next closest conference team is La Salle, who is averaging 24.6 pppg from their bench.
 

Pablo

Hall of Famer

"George Mason (7-1) vs. Mount St. Mary's (3-4)
WHEN:
Saturday, 1 p.m.
WHERE: Knott Arena; Emmitsburg, Md.
2022-23 RECORDS: Patriots (16-15, 8-8 A-10), Mountaineers (18-13, 12-6 CAA)
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads, 4-1
LAST MEETING: Mason defeated the Mount, 75-64, on Nov. 19, 2005 in Fairfax, Va.
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: LINK
LIVE AUDIO: GoMason Digital Network
GAME NOTES: LINK

FAIRFAX, Va. – Head women's basketball coach will take the Patriots to her alma mater on Saturday afternoon for a match-up with the Mount.

Blair-Lewis got her coaching start at the Mount just six years after graduating as an all-time great. From 1998 to 2007, she led the Mountaineers to 120 overall wins and a 97-67 (.591) NEC record, two 20+ win seasons, and two NEC Regular Season Championships. As a player, she set the Mount's single-game, season and career records in blocked shots. A two-time NEC Player of the Year, she was inducted into the Mount St. Mary's Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, NEC Hall of Fame in 2013 and her playing jersey was retired in 2019.

The last time Mason and Mount St. Mary's met in 2005, Blair-Lewis was the head coach at the Mount in her eighth season. The Patriots downed the Mount 75-64 at home in Fairfax, and have won the last three meetings. They hold a 4-1 record all time, but are 1-1 on the road in Emmitsburg.

In its' last outing, Mason dropped a tight contest to Maryland on the road in College Park on Sunday, 86-77. On the other hand, the Mount downed Bucknell at home on Tuesday night, 55-46.

PATRIOTS POINTS
  • Earlier this week, the Patriots earned their highest-ever NET ranking since the metric debuted in the 2020-21 season. Mason earned a No. 82 ranking and is one of six Atlantic 10 programs in the Top-100
  • Sonia Smith continued to shine offensively, posting her eighth double-figure scoring performance with a season-high 21 points against the Terrapins. She leads the Patriots with 14.3 points per game (7th, A-10)
  • Sophomore Zahirah Walton had a career-day at Maryland, posting career-highs of 18 points and 14 rebounds. Her 5.1 rebounds/game rank third on the team
  • Two other Patriots tallied double-figures at Maryland, as Taylor Jameson (16) and Nekhu Mitchell (10) also both set season or career-bests in three-pointers made with four and two, respectively
  • Mitchell leads the team with 1.9 steals (5th, A-10) and is second with 5.6 rebounds (17th, A-10) while averaging 6.9 points per game
  • The Patriots lead the Atlantic 10 in rebounding with 43.4 boards per game (34th nationally) and in scoring with 77.4 points per game (60th nationally)
  • Mason also ranks fifth in the NCAA in bench points per game, highlighting its' depth, with 36.0 points coming from subs
ISCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Mount St. Mary's currently sits at 3-4 on the season after a mid-week victory over Bucknell on Tuesday, downing the Bison 55-46. The Mount also owns wins over Fairleigh-Dickinson and Navy, with last night's win marking their first win at home in 2023.

The Mountaineers are led by two players on offense that average double-figure scoring through the first seven games. Jo Raflo leads the team with 13.0 points and 17 made-three pointers, including a career-best eight makes in last weekend's loss to Cornell. Jessica Tomasetti is second on the team with 12.0 points in a team-high 34.3 minutes per game. Tomasetti is also the team leader in steaks with 11 and second with 13 assists.

Isabella Hunt leads the team with 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and is third with 7.6 points per game. She and Raflo are also second on the team with 10 steals each, while Tomasetti is second on the team with 4.1 rebounds. The trio combines for over 62% of the teams' scoring and 45% of the team's rebounding so far this season.

UP NEXT
The Patriots will have an extended break, returning to the court on Monday, Dec. 18 at East Carolina. The Pirates welcome Mason to Greenville for a 6 p.m. tip-off."


Is it too soon to call Vanessa Blair-Lewis the best Mason women's basketball coach since Jim Lewis?
 
Last edited:
Top