Nov. 14, 2009
The George Mason men's basketball team will look to set a new Division I school record on Sunday afternoon when they host Dartmouth at 4 p.m. at Patriot Center. A victory over the Big Green would give Mason its 18th straight home win, a feat unmatched since Mason became a Division I program in 1978. The game will be broadcast on WWRC 1260 AM.
The Patriots opened the season on Friday with a 76-72 win over Liberty, Mason's seventh-straight win in a season opener, also a school record. The Patriots got 41 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks from sophomores Andre Cornelius, Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson. Freshman Luke Hancock scored 11 off the bench as Mason saw a 19-point lead dwindle to three before making free throws down the stretch.
Dartmouth opened the season on Friday as well as the Big Green lost at Boston College, 89-58. The Eagles shot 66.7 percent in the first half and 60 percent for the game. Eleven Dartmouth players scored but only one reached double figures. Jabari Trotter scored 10 while Josh Riddle and David Rufful each had nine. Marlon Sanders added eight.
Mason and Dartmouth have never played each other. Under head coach Jim Larranaga, Mason has never lost to an Ivy League school.
Sunday will be third annual World Ball Night hosted by George Mason University and National Geographic. Geography Awareness Week 2009, with its theme of "Get Lost in Mapping: Find Your Place in the World," will kick off with a national launch at the Patriots men's basketball game against the Dartmouth Big Green.
National Geographic President and CEO John Fahey will attend the third annual "World Ball Night" college basketball game that celebrates excellence in academics and athletics and spotlights the importance of geography and global knowledge.
Fans attending the event will view National Geographic's Giant Traveling Map of Asia, watch local kids play a half-time scrimmage with Mason's signature "world ball" basketballs, play global location quizzes based on spectacular satellite imagery from GeoEye and tour a map gallery showcasing maps made by local students.
