This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Matt Cullen.

What: Women’s Basketball (16-3, 6-0 A-10) vs. George Mason (8-11, 3-3 A-10)



Where: The Smith Center, Washington, D.C.
When: Friday, Jan. 22 at 12 p.m. EST

Women’s Basketball returns to action on Friday for the second chapter of a two-game home stand. On Wednesday, The Colonials added UMass to their list of conference victims. Although not every part of their game has been clicking, namely the three-point shooting, GW has been finding ways to win. Against the Minutewomen, junior guard Hannah Schaible and junior forward Caira Washington led the way with 14 and 13 points respectively.

After their mediocre out-of-conference performance, George Mason defeated a then 10-3 Saint Louis team to give the Billikens their only conference loss thus far. The Patriots are also coming off a double-digit win against VCU on a highly efficient 54.5 percent shooting night.

Both times that these two squads matched up last year, the Colonials cruised to a 35-point victory. Those wins included a combined 54-14 difference in points off turnovers. GW has defeated the Patriots in their past five meetings with an average margin of victory at 24 points.

Here’s what to expect from the game:

The Case for the Colonials: It is not a fluke that the Colonials have won their last 11 games. They have out-rebounded every single opponent and they have played aggressively on a consistent basis. After a 5-3 start, the Colonials’ defense has greatly improved and over their past eight games. GW has limited opponents to less than 61 points while averaging 71.5 points per game themselves.

In the past three games, Schaible has proved her importance on the floor. Her high energy and efficient play has been important in the Colonials’ recent success. Games in which Schaible has started, GW is 10-0 and she has scored 10.8 points per game in conference play.

The Patriots have allowed the most points per game in the A-10. This is an enormous advantage for the Colonials because during games in which they shoot above 40 percent from the field, they are 9-0.

Home court advantage might play a larger factor than you would think for a team coming from just 30 minutes away. The Patriots have struggled on the road going 1-8 while the Colonials have capably defended their home floor at 8-1. The game was moved up to Friday afternoon due to weather, though, so attendance could be spotty.

A-10 Player of the Week and senior forward Jonquel Jones went down on Wednesday with an injured shoulder. Head coach Jonathan Tsipis did not comment on the extent of the injury or on what Jones’ timetable for return might be. If Jones sits out on Friday, it is a blow to the Colonials’ productivity because she leads the team in both points (16.9) and rebounds (14.8) per game.

The Case for George Mason: The Patriots are going to have to rebound the ball very well to win this game. They are a fairly good team on the glass themselves with 40.5 boards per game, but if the Colonials are able to control second chance points, it will be a long night in the paint.

In the Patriots’ past two wins, they have shot a combined 48.3 percent from the floor. They will be looking for similar effectiveness to defeat the long and talented Colonials team.

George Mason is led in scoring by redshirt senior guard Taylor Brown. She adds 15.2 points in over 35 minutes per game. Last game against VCU, Brown had a game-high 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting including 2-for-3 from downtown.

Brown and GW graduate student guard Lauren Chase will likely go head to head all game. If the Patriots guards can get the upper hand by forcing turnovers and getting to the basket, they can make it more difficult for an interior-focused Colonials team.

The Bottom Line: GW has been the better team this season and should pick up its 17th victory on Friday. If the Colonials play their game and limit turnovers it could be another blowout. But, George Mason’s win against Saint Louis shows that this game could be competitive. If they are able to hold the Colonials off the boards and continue shooting a high percentage, the Patriots could be a danger to the winning streak.