FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason University men’s basketball team (19-5, 10-1) travels to the western limit of the Atlantic 10 for a Tuesday night matchup at Saint Louis (14-10, 7-4).
TIp-off between the Patriots and Billikens is set for 8 p.m. (ET). Tuesday’s game will be streamed nationally on ESPN+ and televised regionally on FanDuel Sports Network. The broadcast will feature commentary from Tom Ackerman, Troy Robertson, and Tamar Sher. In addition, Voice of the Patriots Bill Rohland will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network, with streaming coverage beginning at 7:45 p.m. (ET).
• The Patriots currently own the nation’s sixth-longest win streak. GM has won nine in a row and 17 of its past 19 games.
• Mason is coming off an 82-67 win over Rhode Island Saturday in Fairfax. The Patriots shot 58.2 percent, marking the fourth-best FG percentage in the program’s A-10 history. GM also tied a season high with 11 3-pointers on 24 attempts (.524).
• The Patriots are in sole possession of first place in the A-10 and are three games ahead of third in the league ledger.
• The Green & Gold are off to the best A-10 start in program history (10-1). GM’s 19-5 record marks the Patriots’ best overall start since 2010-11. That team began 26-5 and won 16 games in a row en route to an NCAA Tournament berth.
• George Mason is 4-1 on the road in A-10 play and has won its last four A-10 road tilts. GM has never won five-straight away games in its A-10 history. GM is the first team to win at Dayton and St. Bonaventure in the same season since VCU in 2018-19.
• Darius Maddox tied a career-best with 24 points (8-12 FG, 4-6 3pt) against the Rams. Jalen Haynes added 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Haynes is averaging 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.5 blocks and shooting 57.4 percent over the past four games.
• George Mason ranks third in the nation in FG defense (.369) while also ranking high in effective FG defense (2nd, .433), 2pt defense (4th, .431) and 3pt defense (12th, .289). The Patriots are ninth in scoring defense (61.8 ppg allowed) and 13th in overall defensive efficiency (0.944 points/possession)
• The Patriots are one of four programs this season to rank in the top-10 nationally in overall FG defense, effective FG defense, 2pt defense and scoring defense. The others are #4/5 Duke, #5/4 Tennessee and #6/6 Houston.
• The Patriots are 4-0 in their last four contests decided by five points or less.
• GM held a +2 turnover margin Saturday, improving the Patriots to 9-0 when they win the turnover battle.
• The Patriots are 16-1 when shooting 30 percent or better from from 3pt range on the season. GM has made 43.6 percent (24-55) of its three point attempts over the past three games.
• George Mason’s nine-game A-10 win streak is its longest in program history and the longest overall conference win streak since the Patriots rattled off 14-straight in 2010-11.
• George Mason is receiving votes in this week’s AP top-25 poll. The Patriots are ranked 63rd nationally in the Feb. 10 NET. GM also is 69th in the Ken Pomeroy rankings. It marks the Patriots’ highest spot in the KenPom ledger since December 2011.
HISTORY vs. SAINT LOUIS
Tuesday’s game marks the 17th all-time meeting between George Mason and Saint Louis in men’s basketball. The Billikens hold an 11-5 advantage in the all-time series. SLU has won nine of the past 11 contests and holds a 4-2 edge in St. Louis, including the last three inside Chafeitz Arena. Last season, the Patriots captured a 79-67 victory in Fairfax on January 6, 2024. Darius Maddox notched 11 points (2-5 3pt FG) in 35 minutes in the win.
A LOOK AT THE BILLIKENS (14-10, 7-4 A-10; NET #112, KenPom #114)
Saint Louis was picked to finish fourth out of 15 teams in the A-10 Preseason Poll. The Billikens went 7-6 in non-conference play before starting A-10 play 5-1. SLU has dropped three of its past five games. In conference games the Billikens feature both the No. 1 effective FG offense (.552) and effective FG defense (.436) in the A-10. SLU allows foes to shoot just 25.2 percent from 3 in league play. Gibson Jimerson leads the team and is sixth in the A-10 in scoring (17.4 ppg). He makes 2.88 triples/game (4th in A-10). Isaiah Swope is third in the league in 3s per game (2.91) and averages 16.0 points/contest to go with a team-best 4.8 assists/game. Robbie Avila adds 16.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists/contest.
UP NEXT
George Mason returns home for a nationally-televised battle with Saint Joseph’s. Tip-off on Saturday (Feb. 15) between the Patriots and Hawks is set for 12:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on USA Network.
