Patriots Finish Up Paradise Jam Monday vs. Buffalo

By Press release submission

Nov 24, 2022

WHERE: UVI Sports & Fitness Center - St. Thomas, USVI
WHEN: Monday, 1 p.m. (ET)
RECORDS: George Mason (2-3, 0-0), Buffalo (1-4, 0-0)
SERIES: First meeting
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GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

ST. THOMAS, USVI - The George Mason University men's basketball team wraps up the Paradise Jam on Monday afternoon with a 1 p.m. (ET) contest vs. Buffalo.

Monday's game will be broadcast on ESPN3, featuring commentary from Brad Wells (play-by-play) and Kevin Lehman (color commentary). In addition, Bill Rohland will call the games on the GoMason Digital Network. Saturday's pregame coverage will begin at 12:45 p.m. (ET).

• Mason has dropped its first two games in the tournament to Boston College (71-56) and Belmont (66-62).

• DeVon Cooper led Mason with 15 points and made five triples against Belmont Saturday. He is shooting 48.1 percent (13-27) from beyond the arc over the past three games.

• Cooper has now made 227 career 3-pointers, which ranks 26th nationally. He needs four more triples to pass Jaire Grayer for fourth most all time by a George Mason player. Cooper has made 94 of those triples in a Mason uniform.

• Preseason All-A-10 First Team selection Josh Oduro added 13 points (6-11 FG), seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks in Saturday's game.

• Freshman Devin Dinkins drew the start at point guard vs. Belmont with Ronald Polite III out due to a groin injury. He tallied four points and two assists in 27 minutes. He's a team best +10 in +/- over the two Paradise Jam games and has a 3.00 assist/turnover ratio on the year.

• Against the Bruins, Mason was victimized by a 17-turnover night which led to a 21-13 edge in points off turnovers for Belmont.

• The Patriots also missed nine free throws while shooting 35.7 percent from the line. Mason has been outscored by 19 total points in two Paradise Jam games, but has missed 18 free throws during the tournament (13-31, .419).

• For the season, the Patriots rank 350th out of 363 teams nationally in free throw percentage (.531).

• Though Mason is 2-3 on the season, the Patriots have been outscored by just six total points (326-332). Turnovers have been a big part of the difference, as Mason is -17 (65-82) in points off turnovers over the five games. The Patriots also are -14 (58-72) in second chance points.

• Victor Bailey Jr. notched eight points vs. Belmont. He is now just 38 points away from 1,000 for his career.

• Mason ranks third in the A-10 and is 77th nationally in 3pt FG% (.381) through five games this season.

A TALE OF TWO HALVES IN USVI
Through two games in the 2022 Paradise Jam, Mason has held a +11 (71-60) scoring edge in the second half. But the Patriots have struggled in the first stanza, where foes hold a +30 (77-47) advantage.

HISTORY vs. MAC OPPONENTS
Mason is 6-9 all time against schools currently in the Mid-American Conference. The Patriots' most common foes are Toledo (1-3) and Kent State (1-2). Mason also will host the Rockets this season in EagleBank Arena on Dec. 3 for the start of a home-and-home series. In the most recent matchup with a MAC program, the Patriots defeated Kent State 79-75, on Nov. 22, 2016 at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. Marquise Moore led the Patriots with 23 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, while Otis Livingston II added 20 points and five assists in the win.

HISTORY vs. BUFFALO
Monday's game marks the first ever meeting between George Mason and Buffalo in men's basketball.

A LOOK AT THE BULLS (1-4, 0-0 MAC; KenPom #211)
Buffalo was picked sixth out of 12 teams in the Mid-American Conference preseason poll. The Bulls are 1-4 to begin the season, with the victory coming in the team's season opener against Colgate (88-87). In the Paradise Jam, Buffalo has lost to Drake (80-72) and Howard (63-59). The Bulls are led by Yazid Powell, who averages 13.2 points per contest. Curtis Jones adds 12.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.