Jan. 31, 2005

FAIRFAX, VA- The George Mason men's basketball team will host Manhattan College in a non-conference game that comes from the pool of teams under consideration for the ESPN Bracket Buster package. This will mark the first ever meeting between the two schools and it will be played during Homecoming weekend at 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 19th.

"We are pleased and excited to be matched up against such an outstanding team like Manhattan as part of ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday," said Coach Larranaga. "Manhattan is a perennial NCAA Tournament team and Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez always has his team playing its best basketball towards the end of the season. We welcome the challenge of playing the Jaspers."

Mason, 10-8 overall and 5-4 in the CAA, is currently riding a three-game win streak into tonight's contest against Delaware. The Jaspers are 10-8 overall and 5-5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

Head coach Jim Larranaga, who became the school's all-time winningest coach this season, is in his eighth campaign at the Patriots' helm. Last year's 23-10 squad (12-6 CAA) produced the most wins in the program's 37-year history, the most wins at home since 1985, the best non-conference winning percentage since joining the CAA, two consecutive postseason wins for the first time and the most games played in a season.

The Jaspers earned a berth into the last two NCAA Tournaments by winning the MAAC Conference Tournament. Last season, Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez led Manhattan to a 25-6 record, 16-2 in MAAC play. The Jaspers defeated fifth-seeded Florida, 75-60, in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, and was narrowly defeated by fourth-seeded Wake Forest, 84-80, in the Second Round.

Gonzalez was named the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY) Men's Division I Coach of the Year in 2004. He entered this season as only the second Manhattan coach to have three straight 20 win seasons.