Feb. 10, 2004

The battle for positioning in the Colonial Athletic Association standings begins in earnest Wednesday night when the conference preseason favorite George Mason Patriots host Virginia Commonwealth, the league's current frontrunners, at 7 p.m. at the Patriot Center.

Mason enters the contest with a 7-5 CAA mark (14-7 overall) and is tied for fourth in the conference standings, while VCU is tied for the league lead with a record of 9-3 (15-6 overall). The Rams, who own a 19-11 advantage in the series, have won three straight over the Patriots, including an 80-56 win in Richmond on Jan. 17.

The Patriots hold an impressive 8-1 mark at Patriot Center this year and are 42-5 against CAA opponents at home over the past six seasons. A victory over VCU would give George Mason its 500th victory in 38 seasons as a basketball program.

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