WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: Mason (0-1), American (0-0)
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads, 31-10
LAST MEETING: Mason def. American, 63-60, on Nov. 8, 2013 in Fairfax
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+ ($)
LIVE AUDIO: A-10 Digital Network
LIVE STATS: Click here
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)
TICKETS: Click here
STUDENT GIVEAWAY: Snapback hat (must present valid Mason ID)
GOLD RUSH: 5:30-7 p.m., EBA North Entrance (inside). T-shirts, rally towels, arcade games, music & more for students
GAME SPONSOR: EagleBank
FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason wraps up a two-game, season-opening homestand with a Friday night contest against old CAA foe American.
Tip-off between the Patriots and Eagles is set for 7 p.m. Friday's game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN+. The broadcast will feature "Voice of the Patriots" Bill Rohland. An ESPN+ subscription, with access to all Mason home events, as well as NHL/MLB/College Sports and more, can be purchased for $4.99/month. In addition, Rohland's audio stream will be available for free via GoMason.com.
PATRIOT POINTS
• The Patriots narrowly fell to 2018 Ivy champion Penn in their season opener Tuesday (72-71).
Jarred Reuter posted a team-high 15 points for the Green & Gold in his Mason debut.
Justin Kier and
Otis Livingston II added 12 points for the Green & Gold. For Reuter, it marked his career high scoring total (including his career at Virginia).
• Last season, Mason ranked as the 11th-youngest team in the nation, with just 0.94 years of experience per player. The Patriots had 0 scholarship seniors for the first time since 2004-05. This season, the Patriots are No. 87 in experience in the early KenPom rankings, with five upperclassmen, four sophomores and just three freshmen.
• Mason's pair of bugaboos in the exhibition game on Nov. 1 and opener on Nov. 6 has been turnovers and 3-point shooting. Mason has averaged 19 turnovers over those two games and is a combined 3-of-25 from beyond the arc (.120).
• Six players scored at least eight points for Mason in the season opener
HISTORY vs. AMERICAN
Friday's game marks the 42nd all-time meeting between Mason and American in men's basketball. The Patriots are 17-3 at home, 11-7 at AU and 3-0 on neutral courts against the Eagles. Mason has won 13 straight in the series. The two foes battled as members of the CAA from 1985-2000. The Patriots swept the Eagles during Mason's 1998-99 NCAA Tournament season, including a 73-48 win in the CAA Tournament. The two teams have played four times in non-conference play since 2000, including a 75-35 win at the BB&T Classic during the 2006 Final Four season (12/5/05). Mason and American last met on Nov. 8, 2013, with the Patriots claiming a 63-60 win in Fairfax.
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES (6-24, 3-15 Patriot in 2017-18; KenPom No. 224)
American was picked to finish seventh in the 2018-19 preseason poll. The Eagles went just 6-24 last season but fielded one of the youngest teams in the nation. Nine of the team's losses were by five points or less. This season, American returns its top-6 scorers, led by Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Sa'eed Nelson. He's the league's top returning scorer and paced the Eagles last season with 18.6 points and 5.1 assist per game. Sophomore Sam Iorio looks to improve upon a rookie campaign in which he posted 14.9 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds per contest while shooting 43.7 percent (62-142) from long distance. Senior Larry Motusiz chipped in 14.6 points and 4.7 rebounds a season ago. Head coach Mike Brennan is in his sixth season leading the Eagles.
UP NEXT
Mason hits the road for the first time in 2018-19. The Green & Gold will play at Georgia Southern on Tuesday (Nov. 13) at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. The Patriots will look to avenge a home loss against the Eagles last season (Dec. 12, 2017).
