After having nearly a week off between games, George Mason (8-16, 2-9) will travel to Washington DC to face Revolutionary Rival George Washington (10-14, 4-7).
These two teams have already met once this season, with the Patriots defeating the Colonials 70-60 back on January 4 in Fairfax. In that game, Tamia Lawhorne exploded for a career-high 22 points, 15 of which came in the third quarter during Mason’s 24-11 run that put the game in George Mason’s control.
George Mason will be looking for just their second-ever sweep of George Washington, with the only other occurrence coming just a year ago.
These teams have been two of the toughest teams to understand, not just in the Atlantic 10, but in all of college basketball. Back on New Years’, I wrote an A-10 Women’s Basketball preview, and of GW I wrote, “The Colonials have arguably been one of the most inconsistent teams in America this year….This team has such a high ceiling but such a low floor.”
Both of those claims have definitely held true. Entering today, George Washington has lost three of their last four games. In those three loses, they have averaged just 54 points per game, losing to Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure and La Salle. Their lone win during that span? VCU, on the road no less. Because go figure. The Colonials won 56-55 at the Siegel Center just one week ago, winning thanks to two late free throws from Lexus Levy. I honestly still don’t know what to make of this team.
Scouting George Washington
One of the most bizarre things about GW is that they do not have a single player averaging in double figures. I have never seen that before. That said, be on the lookout for a few players in particular:
Alexandra Maund leads the Colonials in scoring at 9.8 points per game. She also shoots the ball at a nearly 50% clip, which puts her in fifth place in field goal percentage in the A-10.
Tori Hyduke is the Colonials’ floor general and arguably George Washington’s most athletic player. She averages 9.3 points per game, and also leads the team in both three pointers made and attempted.
Sydney Zambrotta is a guard in her first season at GW after transferring from Louisville, where she helped the Cards to a Final Four appearance in 2018. She is third on the team in scoring, at 9.0 points per game.
Ariel Stephenson is another transfer worth keeping an eye on. She is a transfer from Wake Forest, and though her stats don’t jump off the page at you, she is a dynamic presence when she having a good night.
One more stat worth noting for George Washington: they rank 330 out of 348 team in NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball in scoring. Yikes. Don’t expect a ton of points in this one.
Breaking Down George Mason
The Patriots are at somewhat of a crossroads right now. They sit in last place in the Atlantic 10 with five games left. They sit three games out of a tie for 8th place, which means that a loss today almost mathematically eliminates from from the ability to host a first round A-10 Tournament game (a loss to Richmond on Wednesday would still mathematically eliminate them, should Mason beat GW today).
Here’s a look at where things sit right now:
Updated @A10WBB Standings:
11-0 Dayton
9-2 VCU
–
8-3 Fordham
6-5 Duquesne
6-5 Saint Louis
6-5 Davidson
6-6 UMass
5-6 Rhode Island
–
5-6 Richmond
4-7 La Salle
4-7 George Washington
4-8 St. Bonaventure
2-9 Saint Joseph's
2-9 George Mason#A10WBB— Daniel Frank (@n1a2v3y4) February 14, 2020
Here is a visual breakdown of the current standings, remaining schedules and head-to-head tiebreakers of the bottom seven teams: 
This team is certainly capable of winning at least four of the final games on their schedule, including today at George Washington. If the team that came out and, not only beat GW the first time, but the team that smacked around UMass comes to play today, there is not a doubt in my mind that George Mason can leave the Smith Center with a win. That said, if the team that showed up against Saint Louis just generally flat comes in, then George Washington may have their way with the Patriots.
That sentiment really applies to both Mason and GW. Both of these teams, as I’ve mentioned, have been incredibly inconsistent. You never know what you’re going to get on any given night from any player on the roster. They are are incredibly capable of posting 10-15+ points, or being a mere footnote in the box score.
What I really just want from George Mason is to keep fighting, regardless of what happens on the floor. This season has not unfolded the way anyone had hoped or planned. It’d be easy to pack it up and just tank the end of the season. But there is still a lot to play for. This game against GW matters. This is a rivalry game, with your season on the line. Just as the George Mason men’s team won on the road at VCU on Wednesday, a big road win against your rival can be a tremendous boost. Mason just needs to string together four quarters, go out there, and, as coach says, “put the ball in the hole.”
Tipoff from the Charles E. Smith Center is at 2:00, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
