BLACKSBURG- The Virginia Tech women's basketball will travel to Fairfax, Virginia for a road matchup with in-state foe George Mason on Sunday, November 10. Tipoff from Eagle Bank Arena is set for 2 p.m. and can be seen on EPSN+.
Virginia Tech opened the season with a resounding 105-41 victory over Saint Francis Tuesday night, the third largest margin of victory in program history. While Aisha Sheppard (16) and Dara Mabrey (15) combined for 31 points, it was the newcomers who stole the show. Freshmen center Elizabeth Kitley scored 27 points on 13 of 15 shooting and also grabbed five boards. She came one-point shy of tying the program record for points in a debut game.
In all, six players made their Virginia Tech debuts; Kitley, Alex Obouh Fegue, Lydia Rivers, Taja Cole, Makayla Ennis and Cayla King. All six made at least one field goal and contributed in all categories, especially distributing the ball. Cole dished out nine assists and Rivers had six, as the Hokies tied a Cassell Coliseum team record with 28 helpers in the contest.
GAME INFORMATION
Virginia Tech at George Mason
November 10, 2019 - 2 p.m.
Live stats
BROADCAST INFORMATION
ESPN+
THE PATRIOTS
George Mason opened up the 2019-20 season with a 72-61 victory over Charleston on Wednesday night. The Patriots shot 36.7% from the field, had 15 turnovers and were outrebounded by four. They did have four players in double figures, led by guard Nicole Hillary-Cardano's 24 points on 9 of 19 shooting from the field.
She is on the Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List, given annually to the top point guard in the nation, as is Tech's Taja Cole. Hillary-Cardano averaged 20.4 points per game, 3.16 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game a season ago. She was a first team All-Conference selection and was the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and was first team
Mason was picked to finish sixth in the 14-team Atlantic 10 conference preseason and placed Hillary-Cardano and senior guard/forward Jacy Bolton on the preseason All-Conference teams.
THE MATCHUP WITH GEORGE MASON
Tech owns the matchup with the Patriots winning seven of the previous 10 meetings. The in-state foes last met in 2018 in the WNIT in Blacksburg, a game that the Hokies won 78-69 behind 23 points from Taylor Emery and a 17-point, seven-rebound performance from Regan Magarity.
The Hokies have won each of the last two meetings in the series. Head Coach Kenny Brooks is 1-0 against the Patriots since he moved to Blacksburg.
NOTABLE
HOKIES DOMINATING NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
•Since his arrival in Blacksburg in 2016, Coach Brooks has owned the non-conference portion of the season. In two of his three seasons, he has led the Hokies to perfect records heading into ACC play.
•Including the postseason, the Hokies are 50-8 under Brooks in the non-conference.
•Brooks is 10-3 against schools from the other Power 4 conferences during his tenure in Blacksburg, including a perfect 4-0 mark against the SEC.
NEXT TIME ON CARILION CLINIC COURT
•Tech will return to Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum on Friday, November 15 at 7 PM on ACC Network Extra.
•Last season in Lynchburg, Tech earned a 72-61 victory over the Flames led by Dara Mabrey who scored 13 points in her first collegiate road game.
•Tech owns the series, leading 15-1 all-time.
