WHEN: Thursday, Noon
WHERE: Eaglebank Arena, Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: Mason (9-3), Prairie View A&M (2-10)
SERIES RECORD: First meeting
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FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (9-3) returns to action after a 10-day final exams hiatus to take on Prairie View A&M Thursday inside EagleBank Arena.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Panthers is scheduled for noon. Thursday's game will be broadcast live on the A-10 Digital Network. Bill Rohland will call the game, with pregame coverage beginning at 11:45 a.m.

* The Patriots are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak which includes wins over four RPI top-150 teams, including Northern Iowa, Mercer,  Penn State and Penn.

* The eight-game winning streak is the Patriots' longest since since the team rattled off 16 in a row during the 2010-11 campaign.

* A win Thursday would give Mason 10 non-conference victories. It would mark just the second time since 1983-84 the Patriots would capture 10 wins during the regular season non-conference schedule (Note: excludes post-season wins).

* The Patriots (9-3) have the best non-conference record in the Atlantic 10.

* Mason is 3-0 on the road for the first time since 1985-86.

* Last time out, the Patriots took down Longwood, 97-60, on Dec. 12 inside EagleBank Arena. The 37-point margin of victory marked Mason's largest since a 41-point win over UNC Wilmington in January 2009.

* Sophomore Jaire Grayer posted a season-best 17 points (6-10 FG) and nabbed a career-best five steals in the win. He was one of three Patriots to post 17 points in the game.

* Senior Marquise Moore also notched 17 points, and grabbed eight rebounds, marking the first time in five games that Moore did not post double-digit rebounds.

* Moore is the nation's top rebounding guard (10.6 rpg), ranks fifth nationally in defensive rebounds/game (8.8) and is one of only 12 players in the country (and the only guard) with 7+ double-doubles.

* Sophomore guard Otis Livingston II also posted 17 points vs. Longwood. With his 7-of-7 evening at the line, he extended his free throws made streak to 30, breaking the previous school record of 27 set by Rob Rose during the 1985-86 campaign. Livingston is second in the nation in free throw percentage (.974) this season.

* The Patriots are 8-1 when they outrebound their opponent this season and are 16th nationally in rebounding margin (+8.9).

HISTORY vs. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
Thursday's game marks the first ever meeting between Mason and Prairie View A&M in men's basketball.

ALL-TIME SWAC SERIES
Mason is playing just its fifth all time game against a current member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Patriots' are 3-1 (.750) in their previous four contests vs. SWAC opponents. Mason is 1-0 against Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State, and 1-1 vs. Alabama State. Mason has not faced a SWAC school since the 1996-97 campaign.

A LOOK AT THE PANTHERS (2-10, 0-0 SWAC)
The Panthers were picked to finish sixth out of 10 teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason poll. Prairie View is led by junior forward Zachary Hamilton, who averages 14.1 points (sixth in the SWAC) and poured in 26 at Utah on Saturday. Senior guard Daquan Cook is 10th in the conference in scoring (12.6 ppg) and is fifth in steals (1.7 spg). Senior guard Ja'Donta Blakley leads the team and is fourth in the conference in assists (3.4 apg).

UP NEXT
The Patriots open Atlantic 10 play with a game vs. VCU next Friday (Dec. 30) inside EagleBank Arena. The 8 p.m. showdown will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.