WHEN: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Palumbo Center - Pittsburgh, Pa.
RECORDS: Mason (9-10, 3-3), Duquesne (13-6, 4-2)
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads, 6-5
LAST MEETING: Mason def. Duquesne, 63-62, on March 1, 2017
TELEVISION: NBC Sports Network
LIVE AUDIO: Click here
LIVE STATS: Click here
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (9-10, 3-3) will head to the Steel City for a Saturday afternoon contest against Duquesne (13-6, 4-2).

Tip-off between the Patriots and Dukes is set for 4:30 p.m. inside the Palumbo Center. Saturday's game will be broadcast to a national audience on NBC Sports Network, featuring commentary from Rick Allen and David Kaplan. In addition, Bill Rohland will call the game on the A-10 Digital Network, with pre-game audio coverage beginning at 4:15 p.m.

• Mason is 2-4 on the road this season, while Duquesne is 11-2 inside the Palumbo Center (3-0 in A-10 play).

• Mason has won 13 of its past 25 A-10 games (.520) after capturing just 12 of its first 39 (.308) from 2013-16.

• The Patriots are in the midst of a stretch in which four of six games are on the road.

• Mason began that stretch with an 80-68 setback at George Washington on Wednesday inside the Smith Center.

• The Colonials shot 64.3 percent in the first half and jumped out to a 44-29 halftime lead. Mason was +3 (39-36) in the second half.

• Four Patriots scored in double figures in the game, led by freshman Goanar Mar. His 17 points marked an A-10 best and he tied a career-high with three 3-pointers to go along with seven rebounds.

• Justin Kier added 13 points (6-9 FG), while Jaire Grayer tallied his third double-double of the year (11 points, 10 rebounds). Grayer's five assists at GW marked a career best for the junior.

• Ian Boyd added 10 points and has now hit double figures in two of the past three games (had only hit 10+ points once in the previous 10 games).

• GW put 6-9 forward Yuta Watanabe on Mason's 5-11 standout Otis Livingston II. Watanabe limited Livingston to three points, tying a season low for the talented Mason junior. Livingston II had scored 20+ points in the previous four games.

• Despite Wednesday's game, Livingston II still ranks third in the A-10 in league play in scoring (20.2 ppg). He also has hit 51.7 percent of his 3-point attempts, which ranks fourth in the conference.

• The Patriots are averaging 9.5 made 3-pointers over the past four games, well above the team's season average (7.1). The Patriots are shooting 44.2 percent from deep (32-47) over those four contests.

• Mason leads the A-10 in 3-point percentage in conference play (.387, 48-124). The Patriots were t-3rd in the category in league games last season (.363, 102-281).

• Over the past seven games, Mason opponents are averaging 80.0 points and shooting 46.9 percent from the floor.

• Mason's average margin of victory in A-10 play is 5.0 points, while its average margin of defeat is 19.3 points. That's in line with season-long trends, as the Patriots are 7-2 in games decided by less than 10 points and 2-8 in games decided by 10+ points.

•  Otis Livingston II is two assists away from 300 for his career. Jaire Grayer is 40 points away from 1,000.

ENERGY NEEDS TO COME FROM THE DEFENSIVE END
After the George Washington loss on Wednesday, head coach Dave Paulsen said for the Patriots to become a good team, their energy must come from the defensive end rather than the offensive end of the floor. Mason ranks in the top-5 in the A-10 in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage in conference play, but the Patriots are last in the A-10 in scoring defense (80.2 ppg) and 12th in field goal percentage defense (.474). In Mason's three league losses, opponents are averaging 83 points per game and shooting 51.9 percent (97-187) from the floor. Opponents are shooting just 43.1 percent in Mason's three A-10 wins (.299 3pt FG%).

HISTORY vs. DUQUESNE
Saturday's game marks the 12th all-time meeting between Mason and Duquesne in men's basketball. Mason leads the series, 6-5, although the Dukes hold a 3-2 edge in A-10 matchups. Duquesne has won three of the five games played in Pittsburgh. Last season, Mason won a 63-62 contest in Fairfax on March 1, 2017. In two career games vs. the Dukes, Jaire Grayer is averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range, while Otis Livingston II is at 11.0 points, but shooting only 25.8 percent (8-31) from the floor.

A LOOK AT THE DUKES (13-6, 4-2 A-10; No. 227 RPI, No. 171 KenPom.com)
Duquesne - picked last in the A-10 preseason poll - is one of college basketball's biggest surprises in 2017-18. The Dukes are 13-6 and have won four of their first six A-10 games, including victories over Dayton and George Washington. Duquesne is just No. 227 in the NCAA RPI however, due to the team's non-conference strength of schedule ranking 347th out of 351 Div. I teams. The Dukes feature one of the stingiest 3-point defenses in the nation, as Duquesne is third nationally while holding opponents to a 28.5 percent clip. The team also leads the A-10 in scoring defense (64.8 ppg). In addition, the Dukes get to the line while ranking in the top-50 nationally in free throw attempts. Duquesne is led by preseason All-Atlantic 10 Third Team pick Mike Lewis II, who paces the team in scoring (16.0 ppg) and 3-point percentage (.389). Freshman guard Eric Williams Jr. adds 13.9 ppg and leads the A-10 in rebounding (9.7 rpg). Rene Castro-Caneddy (13.6 ppg) and Tarin Smith (12.3 ppg) also average double figures for the Dukes.

UP NEXT
Mason returns home for the first of two contests vs. VCU on Saturday, January 27. The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network. Tip time inside EagleBank Arena is set for 2 p.m.