George Mason Game Day Information

Date | Time

 February 28th | 7 p.m.

Venue (Location/Capacity)

 Patriot Center (Fairfax, Va../9,523)

Tickets

 George Mason Ticket Office

Online

 Live Stats | HawkVision (Pay-Per-View Video)

Social Media

 Facebook ( UNCWsports.com) Twitter (Team | UNCWsports.com)

UNCW Team Information

 Team Site | Game Notes | Records Book

GMU Team Information

 Team site | Game Notes | Records Book

WILMINGTON, North Carolina - The UNCW women's basketball team looks to earn a split of its season series with George Mason Thursday as it squares off against the Patriots in a 7 p.m. contest at the Patriot Center.

Seahawk Storylines

  • UNCW (3-22; 2-12 CAA) in back in action Thursday after suffering a 67-52 defeat to visiting Northeastern Sunday at Trask Coliseum.
  • Senior Karneshia Garrett and freshman Dana Brown tallied 14 points apiece to lead the Seahawks, but the Huskies took advantage of a career-high 15 points from freshman reserve Samantha DeFreese and double-digit outputs from senior Kashaia Cannon and junior Jewel Tunstull record the 15-point road victory.
  • UNCW has struggled to rebound the basketball this season as it ranks 11th in the CAA and 312th in the NCAA in rebounding margin (-5.6). The Seahawks have been out-rebounded by their opponent in all but seven of its 25 games this season, but enter Tuesday's conetst having posting a positive rebounding margin in three of its last four contests (+9 vs. George Mason, +2 vs. Georgia State & +5 at Drexel).
  • The Seahawks have made it hard for the opposition to make shots from the field this season as opponents are making just 38.8 percent (604-of-1556) of their tries from the field this season, representing the sixth-best field goal percentage defense in program history. Of UNCW's 25 games played this season, the Seahawks opponent has shot better than 40 percent from the field on just 10 occasions.
  • UNCW has struggled to shoot the basketball this season, ranking 10th in the CAA and 264th nationally in field goal percentage, making just 36.6 percent (494-of-1349) of its attempts from the floor this season. The Seahawks have shot better than 40 percent from the floor in just seven of 25 games this season, but five of those performances have come in the last 13 contests. (William & Mary, Drexel, Towson, Hofstra and Georgia State).
  • Senior forward Karneshia Garrett has been a force to be reckoned with on the glass this season as she enters today's contest ranked 17th in the nation in rebounds per game (11.1). She has grabbed double-digit rebounds in 14 of 24 games played this season, highlighted by a 20-rebound effort against Georgia State on Feb. 17.
  • Garrett has pulled down double-digit boards in seven of the last nine games, recording a double-double in each of those contests as she has averaged 12.3 rebounds per game during that stretch.
  • Garrett has also picked up her point production in recent games, averaging 13.8 points in the Seahawks' last 12 contests. Garrett is shooting 50.0 percent (65-of-130) from the field during that stretch as she has reached double figures in all but one of those 11 contests, highlighted by a career-high 22-point effort against Georgia State on Feb. 17.
  • Junior guard Jessica Freeman leads the team in steals (2.5) and ranks second in scoring (10.6) and third in assists (2.6). Freeman poured in a career-high 27 points in the Seahawks victory over Georgia State on Feb. 17, going 9-of-15 from the floor, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
  • Freeman has served as an iron-woman of sorts for the Seahawks, having played 40 or more minutes in 11 games this season, highlighted by a career-high 43 minutes against Georgia State on Feb.17. She leads the league in minutes played per game (36.8).

Northeastern Recap

UNCW dropped to 3-22 overall and 2-12 in CAA play with a 67-52 loss to visiting Northeastern on Sunday.

  • Senior guard Kashaia Cannon and junior center Jewel Tunstull of NU led all scorers with 16 points apiece. Freshman forward Samantha DeFreese came off the bench to score 13 of her career-high 15 points in the first half for the Huskies, who shot 42.1 percent from the floor on the day.
  • NU was playing without leading scorer Deanna Kerkhof, who averages 13.7 ppg. The senior guard was sidelined with an injury and did not play in her second straight contest.
  • Freshman guard Dana Brown matched her career-high with 14 points, equaling her previous total of 14 points at Towson on Jan. 27, and shared team-high honors with senior Karneshia Garrett.
  • Garrett collected her 11th double-double of the season and the 18th of her career with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
  • UNCW matched a season-low with three steals against Northeastern. It marked the fifth time this season that the Seahawks have recorded three steals or fewer in a contest.
  • The Seahawks forced Northeastern into just nine turnovers, representing the eighth time this season that an opponent has committed fewer than 10 turnovers against UNCW.
  • The Seahawks were out-rebounded by its opponent for the 18th time this season as the Huskies held a 40-35 advantage on the glass. UNCW moved to 0-18 this season when it finishes a game with fewer total rebounds than its opponent.
  • UNCW shot below 40 percent from the floor for the 18th time this season as it was 19-of-55 (.345) from the floor against the Huskies. The Seahawks moved to 0-18 this season when shooting below 40 percent in a game.
  • The Seahawks recorded double figure assists for the fourth straight contest and the 17th time this season as they finished with 13 helpers.
  • UNCW shot better than 70 percent at the free-throw line for the eighth time this season as it was 9-of-12 (.750) at the charity stripe.

Scouting George Mason

  • George Mason (8-18; 3-12 CAA) eyes a return to the win column after seeing its losing skid stretch to four games with a 67-51 setback at Georgia State on Sunday.
  • Senior Rahneeka Saunders continues to serve as the focal point of the Patriots lineup this season, leading the squad in points (11.5), assists (3.0) and steals (2.0). Saunders has reached double figures in points on 16 occasions this season, including a season-high 33 markers in a 76-70 victory over Drake on Nov. 24.
  • Fellow senior Amber Easter paces the team in rebounding (6.6) and is second in scoring (9.3). Easter finished with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists in the first meeting between the two programs on Feb. 14.
  • The Patriots have excelled at the free-throw line this season, knocking down 74.4 percent (291-of-391) of its attempts from the charity stripe to rank second in the league in that category. Mason was 14-of-18 (.778) at the line in their first meeting on Feb. 14.
  • Jeri Porter is in her fifth season with the Patriots. The former Radford and North Alabama head coach picked up her 50th victory with the program in the Patriots 62-52 victory over UNCW on Valentine's Day.

Series Notes Versus George Mason

Thursday's contest marks the 63rd meeting between UNCW and George Mason in a series that dates back to the founding of the Colonial Athletic Association in 1984-85.

  • The Patriots hold a 34-28 advantage in the series, but UNCW has dominated play in recent meetings, winning 14 of 16 and 18 of the last 21 matchups.
  • George Mason took the first meeting between the two programs this season, recording a 62-52 victory over the Seahawks on Valentine's Day at Trask Coliseum.
  • UNCW's 62 previous contests against George Mason represent the most matchups against an opponent in program history. In fact, the Patriots are just one of four schools (James Madison (60), William & Mary (60) and East Carolina (54)) that the Seahawks have played on more than 50 occasions during their 39-year history.
  • UNCW has posted a 11-16 record in 27 previous contests against George Mason in Fairfax. The Seahawks have had success in the Patriot Center in recent visits, winning six of their last seven matchups against the Patriots the 10,600-seat facility. UNCW picked up a victory in their most recent victory, posting a 67-51 triumph on Jan. 13, 2011.

Half-Dollar Defense

The Seahawks are 53-0 since the start of the 2002-03 campaign when limiting the opposition to 50 points or less.

  • UNCW held its first opponent to 50 points or less during the Adell Harris era with a 59-45 victory over North Carolina Central on Nov. 28. The win also marked the first time the Seahawks had limited its opposition to fewer than 50 points since a 76-47 victory at Towson on Feb. 24, 2011.
  • The last time the Seahawks lost a game in which they held their opponent to less than 50 points was a 49-44 setback at rival Campbell on Nov. 17, 2001.

Interstate 70

UNCW is 70-8 (.897) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign when it scores 70 or more points in a contest.

  • The Seahawks reached the 70-point plateau for the first time this season in their 84-83 overtime victory against Georgia State on Feb. 17. The 84 points matched the eighth highest point total for a UNCW squad since the start of the 2000-01 season.
  • UNCW is 24-2 since the start of the 2010-11 season when reaching the 70-point plateau.
  • UNCW's last loss when scoring 70 or more points came in a 79-73 setback to Appalachian State in the first round of the Postseason WNIT last March.

Getting Off To a Good Start important for UNCW

The Seahawks are 68-23 (.747) since the start of the 2007-08 season when leading at halftime.

  • UNCW is just 1-6 this season when holding a halftime advantage. Five of the Seahawks last eight losses have come under such circumstances.
  • Four of the Seahawks six losses when leading at the half this season have come in games where their halftime advantage was three points or less (25-24 vs. Charlotte; 30-27 at Towson; 33-32 vs. William & Mary; 27-26 vs. George Mason) while a fifth such contest featured a four-point intermission advantage (32-28 vs. Hofstra).
  • On the flip side, the Seahawks are just 22-67 (.247) since 2007-08 and just 2-16 this season when trailing at intermission. UNCW has defeated William & Mary (23-22) and Georgia State (38-34) this season when trailing at the break.

Double-Digit Dominance

UNCW has benefitted from building big leads in recent years as it is a combined 69-8 (.896) since the start of the 2007-08 season when it holds a lead of 10 points or more during a contest.

  • The Seahawks are 2-3 this season under such circumstances. Three of the Seahawks last five losses have come after UNCW has held a double-digit lead (11 vs. William & Mary; 12 at Old Dominion and 11 vs. Hofstra).
  • The Seahawks have struggled to overcome big deficits in that same timeframe, posting a 13-72 (.153) mark during games in which they have trailed by 10 points or more. Nine of those 13 victories, however, have come since the start of the 2010-11 season, including their 61-52 win at William & Mary on Jan. 8 and their 84-83 overtime triumph against Georgia State on Feb. 17.

Youth Movement

According to research conducted by the athletic communications department at St. John's University, UNCW Head Coach Adell Harris is one of the youngest Division I head coaches in the country.

  • Harris is the 10th youngest head coach in the nation based on birth date, having celebrated her 32nd birthday on May 1, just two days before accepting the head coaching position at UNCW.
  • Harris is the youngest coach in the CAA, but not the youngest in the state of North Carolina. That honor goes to High Point Head Coach DeUnna Hendrix. The 28-year-old is in her first season as head coach of the Panthers.

Freeman, Lee Making Their Way Up School's Three-Point Chart

Senior Tawanna Lee and redshirt junior Jessica Freeman are both making their way up the school's career three-point field goals made chart.

  • Freeman currently sits in 6th place on the all-time list with105 three-pointers made while Lee is in 9th place with 89 treys made.
  • Freeman entered the program's top ten list for career three-point field goals made with her three made trifectas in UNCW's game at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 20. One of only six players to make 100 3-pointers in their UNCW career, Freeman enters tonight's game five triples away from matching Denise Marsh for fifth place on the all-time list (110).
  • Lee, meanwhile, moved into the top 10 by knocking down four 3-point attempts against Hofstra on Feb. 5. She begins tonight's contest one 3-pointer away from trying Jeri Lyn Coker for eighth place (90).
  • Both players have been consistent from beyond the arc during their careers, with Lee and Freeman tied for seventh on the squad's chart for career three-point field goal percentage (.340). Freeman led the league in three-point field goal percentage in 2011-12 (.414), while Lee ranks 12th on the circuit this season in that category (.328).

Hail To the Thief

Junior guard Jessica Freeman recently moved into the top 10 of the program's career steals chart.

  • Currently tied for fourth place on the program's all-time steals chart, Freeman entered the top 10 on Jan. 31, recording five steals against William & Mary to surpass Johnnie Smith to gain entry on the the school's all-time thefts chart.
  • Freeman enters today's contest with 186 career steals and needs just one theft to surpass former teammate Alisha Andrews for sole possession of fourth place on the program's all-time list.
  • Thievery is nothing new for the Charlotte, N.C. native as Freeman ranked sixth in the league in steals in 2011-12 (2.2). She currently ranks second among all league players in that category (2.5).
  • Freeman has turned some memorable steals performances during her career. She matched a CAA tournament record with eight steals in the Seahawks victory over the Pride in the 2012 tournament quarterfinals and recently established a new career high with nine steals in the Seahawks contest against Hofstra on Feb. 5.
  • Eight of Freeman's nine steals against the Pride on Feb. 5 came in the first half, representing the most steals in a single half this season by a Division I player.

The 20-20 Club

Senior Karneshia Garrett joined an exclusive club with her performance against Georgia State on Feb. 17.

  • Garrett finished with career highs of 22 points and 20 rebounds in the overtime victory against the Panthers, becoming the first UNCW player to record 20 or more points and rebounds in the same game since the 1987-88 season.
  • Sharon McDowell was the last Seahawk player to accomplish the feat, finishing with 20 points and 20 rebounds against East Carolina Feb. 27, 1988.

Garrett Eyes Entry Onto Single-Season Rebounding Chart

Senior Karneshia Garrett enters today's contest in 10th place on the program's single season rebounding chart.

  • Garrett has grabbed 267 rebounds heading into Thursday's contest and needs just 11 boards to match Gwen Austion (278) for ninth place on the program's single-season chart.
  • Garrett has averaged 11.1 rebounds per game this season, the fifth highest single-season total in school history. She has pulled down double-digit rebounds in 14 of 24 games played this season, including a career-high 20 rebounds in the Seahawks' overtime victory against Georgia State on Feb. 17.

Garrett receives CAA Honor

UNCW senior forward Karneshia Garrett was named CAA Co-Player-of-the-Week on Feb. 18.

  • A native of Hoover, Ala., Garrett averaged 18.5 points and 19.5 rebounds in leading the Seahawks to a 1-1 mark against George Mason and Georgia State.
  • Garrett shot 51.9 percent (14-of-27) from the floor and 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the free-throw line as she played all but two of UNCW's 85 minutes on the floor.
  • Garrett opened the week with 15 points and 19 rebounds versus George Mason on Thursday and followed that performance with career highs of 22 points, 20 rebounds and six blocked shots in the Seahawks' overtime victory against Georgia State on Sunday.

Harris, McGowen Reunited

When UNCW Head Coach Adell Harris took over the Seahawks program last May, she was already familiar with one player on her new roster from her time at Tusculum College.

  • Harris coached current UNCW senior Chelsea McGowen at Tusculum during the 2009-10 season.
  • Together the duo combined to lead the Pioneers to a 23-10 overall record, the South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight.
  • McGowen averaged 2.1 points and 1.7 rebounds during her freshman season before transferring to Brunswick Community College for the 2011-12 campaign.

Seahawks Tabbed Seventh, Garrett Preseason Honorable Mention

UNCW was picked to finish seventh overall during the upcoming 2012-13 season and senior forward Karneshia Garrett was a Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA selection.

  • The Seahawks and George Mason were selected to finish seventh in a vote of the league's 11 head coaches, ahead of Towson, William & Mary and Georgia State.
  • Delaware was picked to repeat as regular-season champion while James Madison was tabbed to finish second. Hofstra was picked third, followed by Drexel, Old Dominion, Northeastern, UNCW and George Mason (tie), Towson and William & Mary (tie) and Georgia State.
  • Garrett earned Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA accolades after appearing in 32 games and making 21 starts during her first season with the program in 2011-12. She averaged 9.8 points and 7.5 rebounds while pacing the team with six double-doubles.

Up Next

UNCW remains on the road Sunday as it travels to the Empire State for a 2 p.m. contest against Hofstra.