George Mason Begi
WHERE: EagleBank Arena - Fairfax, Va.
WHEN: Saturday, 2 p.m.
RECORDS: George Mason (2-4, 0-0), Queens (5-1, 0-0)
SERIES: George Mason leads, 1-0
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FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team returns to EagleBank Arena to begin a four-game homestand. First up is Queens on Saturday afternoon.
Tip-off between the Patriots and Royals is set for 2 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+, featuring commentary from Bill Rohland. In addition, Steve Kolbe will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network. Saturday's pregame coverage will begin at 1:45 p.m. (ET).
PATRIOT POINTS
• The Patriots are 2-0 at home this season and 12-4 inside EagleBank Arena under head coach Kim English.
• Mason is coming off three games in the Paradise Jam, which included setbacks to Boston College (71-56), Belmont (66-62) and Buffalo (72-64).
• Patriot foes shot 48.2 percent (82-170) from the floor during the tournament. Mason also committed 16.3 turnovers per game and held a -5.3 average turnover margin over the three contests.
• DeVon Cooper led Mason with 13.0 points/game during the event and shot 39.1 percent (9-23) from 3pt range. He notched a career-best six assists on Monday vs. Buffalo.
• Cooper has now made 228 career 3-pointers, which ranks 26th nationally. He needs three more triples to pass Jaire Grayer for fourth most all time by a George Mason player. Cooper has made 95 of those triples in a Mason uniform.
• Victor Bailey Jr. (10.3 ppg, .355 FG%) and Josh Oduro (10.3 ppg, 45.8 FG%) also averaged double figures in the USVI. After his lowest point output (1) in nearly two years vs. BC, Oduro rebounded with 15.0 ppg and a 55.0 field goal percentage over the final two games of the event vs. Belmont and Buffalo.
• Bailey Jr. is just 30 points away from 1,000 for his career.
• Freshman Devin Dinkins has started the past two games for the Patriots after Ronald Polite III went down with a groin injury. Dinkins put together his best game to date on Monday vs. Buffalo. The Washington, D.C., product notched 15 points (5-9 FG, 3-6 3pt FG) and dished out two assists in a season-high 28 minutes.
• Forward Ginika Ojiako notched a season best 13 points vs. Buffalo and grabbed six rebounds. He's averaging 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and shooting 75 percent (9-12) over Mason's past two games.
• The Patriots shot a much-improved 77.8 percent (21-27) from the free throw line against Buffalo. For the season, the Patriots still rank 339th out of 363 teams nationally in free throw percentage (.598).
• Though Mason is 2-4 on the season, the Patriots have been outscored by just 14 total points (400-414). Turnovers have been a big part of the difference, as Mason is -23 (75-98) in points off turnovers over the six games.
• Mason ranks fourth in the A-10 and is 84th nationally in 3pt FG% (.366) through six games this season. The Patriots have shot 43.2 percent from deep (14-44) in two home games, but only 33.3 percent (29-87) in road/neutral affairs.
• The Patriots' next three opponents are a combined 13-4 (.765) so far this season. That includes Queens (5-1), Hofstra (4-1) and Toledo (4-2).
HISTORY vs. ATLANTIC SUN OPPONENTS
Mason is 10-5 all time against schools currently in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Patriots' most common ASun foes are Liberty (6-3) and Austin Peay (2-0). Mason defeated the Governors 66-60 on March 19, 2004, in Fairfax to advance to the NIT Round of 16. Lamar Butler made five 3-pointers in that game and finished with 19 points in the win.
HISTORY vs. QUEENS
Saturday's game marks the second ever meeting between George Mason and new Division I program Queens in men's basketball. In the only previous matchup, the Patriots prevailed 66-65 on Nov. 26, 2020 in the D.C. Paradise Jam played at the Washington Convention Center. Then-sophomore Josh Oduro had 13 points against the Royals, who entered the game ranked 10th in Division II.
A LOOK AT THE ROYALS (5-1, 0-0 ATLANTIC SUN; KenPom #212)
Queens was picked 13th out of 14 teams in the Royals' inaugural Division I season in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Queens is 5-1 to begin the campaign, including wins over Marshall (83-82), Green Bay (81-65) and Morgan State (74-64). The Royals' high-powered offense is averaging 84 points per game, while Queens has controlled the glass with a +12.8 rebounding margin. The team earns an offensive rebound on 38.5 percent of possessions (15th nationally). Kenny Dye leads the Royals in scoring (17.8 ppg) and is shooting 56.1 percent (37-66) from the floor and 57.7 percent (15-26) from 3pt range. Dye also dishes out a team-best 5.5 assists per contest. AJ McKee chips in 13.0 points per game, while Jay'Den Turner adds 11.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest.
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