WASHINGTON DC- One team last night at the Charles E. Smith Center was playing their third game in four days, and the other was playing it’s first in six days. Looking at the final box score, you’ll never guess which is which. That is, unless you’ve been watching George Mason the last four years. It needs no introduction the amazing turnaround that has being underway in Fairfax since the 2022 season, and the Patriots demonstrated last night, on no uncertain terms, that they are NCAA Tournament material, as they walloped George Washington in their own barn.
As someone who has followed GW basketball for 25 season and George Mason for 8 seasons, I felt last night, as I always do in these Revolutionary Rivalry games, somewhat conflicted. As many of you know, I grew up a die-hard fan of George Washington, and very much still feel very much invested in the team. I was in the Richmond Coliseum in 2015 to watch Jonquel Jones & co. cut down the nets in the A-10 Championship. When I lived in Louisville, I drove to Dayton in the snow with my family to see GW battle the Flyers.
George Mason, on the other hand, is now my Alma Mater, and the program has welcomed me with open arms as a beat reporter who spends more nights on their former college campus than most would find socially acceptable. I spent my four years as a student covering the team on press row at EBA, right on through the pandemic and a winless A-10 campaign in 2021. As fate would have it, my career has landed me a long-term spot in the DC area, and my seat on press row at EBA will remain filled for years to come as a result.
All of that said, as the fourth quarter media timeout drew near at the Smith Center last night, I starting racking my brain, when was the last time that I saw GW WBB lose by 30 points at home in a conference game? Sure, I’d seen GW get rocked by nationally ranked opponents every now and then. Some memorable drubbings came at the hands of Maryland, Minnesota, and Stanford. But you lick your wounds from losing to a Power 5 and you move on. You’re better for it. But conference games? Nothing came to mind. I sent out a few texts to a few fellow veteran followers of the program. Everyone drew a blank. I scrambled on my laptop during that media timeout to pull up the GW women’s basketball record book, and scrolled. I had a hard time finding many single 30-point loss of any kind. I finally hit 2011, a game in which GW lost to then A-10 foe Temple, 89-36. It is still the largest margin of defeat in program history. To put it in perspective how long ago that was, I had to miss the game because I had Bar Mitzvah training I couldn’t miss that night, and needless to say, it turned out I didn’t miss much of a game all.
All that got me thinking: where did the game unfolding before my eyes rank amongst the worst GW loses I’d seen in my lifetime? Then, as so many college basketball writers do, I fell down the long rabbit hole of the team’s record book online. Here’s what I found.
Including last night’s game, GW has played a total of 1,444 games in their history. They’ve only ever had 30 total 30-point loses.
GW has played a total of 634 A-10 games. They’ve only ever had 9 30-point A-10 play loses.
GW has played a total of 675 home games. They’ve only ever had 8 total home 30-point loses.
GW has played ~317 total A-10 home games (317 number is my best guesstimation). GW has only ever had 3 total 30-point home A-10 loses.
To compare that head to head with George Mason…
Mason has played a total of 1,188 games as a D1 school. They’ve only ever had 29 total 30-point wins.
Mason has played a total of 176 A-10 games, 456 CAA games, for 632 total conference games. They’ve only ever had 8 total 30-point conference wins (4 A-10, 4 CAA).
Mason has only ever won 9 road games by 30-points.
Mason has played ~88 A-10 road games and ~228 CAA road games. They’ve only ever had 2 road 30-point conference wins, both came in the A-10.
The mirroring contrast in the numbers are truly staggering, as are the overall ones between the state of the two programs as a whole. The two head coaches on the sidelines last night were hired at their respective program just days apart back in the spring of 2021, just weeks removed from the two team’s meeting in the “pillow fight” round of the A-10 Tournament. When George Mason joined the Atlantic 10, most fans in Foggy Bottom welcomed in the Patriots as their “little brother” of sorts. Looking down the box score last night, it is evident that the script has flipped entirely.
Ta’Viyanna Habib came out of the opening gates scorching, scoring 8 points in the first 4:12 of the game, en route to a tie of her career-high 20 points. Zaza Walton, whom Caroline McCombs referenced after last year’s contest in Foggy Bottom, was a type player her team desperately needed to find, had 17 points, along with 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Paula Suárez had 9 points, and set a new career-high 8 assists. “Downtown Jada Brown” connected on three treys, and had 11 points on the night while Page Greenburg also was in double figures with 10.
As a team, the Patriots connected on 12 threes, one shy of the season-high 13 they made against Mount St. Mary’s. George Mason forced 21 turnovers, while only turning it over 9 times themselves, and had 33 points off turnovers. Mason also had 28 points in the paint and 34 bench points.
For George Washington, Makayla Andrews was the lone bright spot, as she finished with 23 points, one shy of her season-high she set against Delaware. The Revs, after falling behind 39-15 midway through the second quarter, were able to trim the halftime deficit down to 12, 41-29, thanks to a late 14-2 run, which saw Andrews score 9 of her 23 points. GW then scored the first basket of the 3rd quarter to cut the lead to 41-31, before George Mason went on a 21-4 run to stretch the lead to 62-35 late in the 3rd. Other than the second quarter, Mason out-scored GW by at least 11 points each period.
For George Washington, it’s soul searching time after their worst home loss in 11 years. The Revolutionaries rank #254 in the updated NET rankings after the loss, and though they still have a winning record at 5-3, the Revs have 0 wins over any team ranked higher than 222. Their loses have come to #218 Howard, and #349 Ohio. This is the type of loss that really makes or breaks teams. I guess we’ll find out which direction GW ends up going.
For George Mason, the Patriots are rolling onto Monday, when they’ll travel back across the Potomac River to face Georgetown. The Patriots are up to #40 in the NET, their new highest-ever mark, and are listed in the Last Four In on ESPN’s latest bracketology. If Mason can make the NCAA Tournament this year, it would be the first in their program’s history. And if there’s one thing this team knows how to do, it’s make a little bit of history.
Daniel Frank is an alum of George Mason University. The 2025 season marks their 10th season at A10Talk, where they are proud to be the content lead for Women’s Basketball coverage, as well as a senior contributor for Men’s Basketball content. In addition, this season will be Daniel’s 26th year following GW basketball, and their 8th following George Mason. You can follow Daniel on X, formerly known as Twitter, @n1a2v3y4.
Posted In: General Discussion