WHEN: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Siegel Center - Richmond, Va. 
RECORDS: Mason (14-15, 8-8), VCU (16-13, 8-8)
SERIES RECORD: Mason trails, 19-39
LAST MEETING: VCU def. Mason, 84-76, on Jan. 27, 2018
TELEVISION: MASN
LIVE AUDIO: Click here/106.7 WJFK
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (14-15, 8-8) plays its final A-10 road game of the season Wednesday when the Patriots head to Richmond to battle VCU (16-13, 8-8).

Tip-off between the Patriots and Rams is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Siegel Center. Wednesday's game will be broadcast regionally on MASN, featuring commentary from Jay Burnham and John Feinstein. In addition, Bill Rohland will provide live audio of the game on the A-10 Digital Network, with coverage beginning at 6:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
• Mason is 4-7 on the road this season, while VCU is 11-6 inside the Siegel Center.

• The Patriots have won four of their past five games and five of their past seven.

• Mason is 18-17 (.514) in its past 35 A-10 games after beginning its league tenure with a 12-39 mark (.235) from 2013 to 2016.

• Mason is averaging 8.5 A-10 wins over the past two seasons. The Patriots averaged 4.3 conference victories over their first three seasons in the league.

• The Patriots are coming off their second walk-off win in as many games. After winning at Saint Joseph's on Feb. 21 with a last-second 3-pointer from Ian Boyd, Mason again claimed victory at the horn Saturday - this time in overtime - on a Boyd lay-in as time expired. The 78-76 OT win over UMass secured a sweep of the Minutemen for the second-straight season.

• Mason led 36-20 at the half, but UMass rallied back to take a 64-61 lead with five seconds left in regulation. Goanar Mar was fouled with 0.5 seconds to go, hit all three free throws, and sent the game to OT, where Mason held a 14-12 scoring edge.

• Otis Livingston II led the Green & Gold with a game-high 22 points (9-20) and also dished out a team-best four assists.

• Jaire Grayer added his eighth double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He also tied a career best with five 3-pointers on just eight attempts (.625).

• Mar is shooting 37.9 percent from 3-point range in A-10 play, compared to 30.8 percent in non-league games. He's scored 10+ points in three of the past four contests.

• As a team, the Green & Gold are fourth in the A-10 in 3-point percentage in league play (.359, 122-340).

• The Patriots could finish as high as No. 4 in the final A-10 standings and earn a double bye in the league tournament, or end up 10th or worse depending on how the final two games go. Just two games currently separate fourth place and 12th place in the standings.

HISTORY vs. VCU
Wednesday's game marks the 59th all-time meeting between old CAA and current A-10 foes George Mason and VCU. Mason is 5-21 on the road, 13-11 at home and 1-7 on neutral courts vs. VCU. The Rams have won 12 of the past 15 meetings and eight of the nine games in Atlantic 10 play. VCU leads the all-time series, 39-19. Earlier this season, the Rams won 84-76 in Fairfax on Jan. 27. Otis Livingston II led the Patriots with 22 points (6-10 FG, 10-12 FT), while Jaire Grayer added 14 points and 13 rebounds. Goanar Mar (12 pts) and AJ Wilson (10 pts) also scored in double figures vs. the Rams.

A LOOK AT THE RAMS (16-13, 8-8 A-10; No. 134 RPI, No. 154 KenPom.com)
VCU was picked fourth out of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll. The Rams posted an 8-5 non-conference mark, with the losses coming to No. 1/1 Virginia, Marquette, No. 15/13 Michigan, Texas and Seton Hall. After starting A-10 play 6-3, VCU has dropped five of its past seven contests. VCU is fourth in the A-10 in scoring offense (75.9 ppg) and field goal percentage (.456) but is 247th nationally in scoring defense (75.3 ppg) and 254th in opponent field goal percentage (.453). The Rams are led by preseason All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection Justin Tillman, who, in league games, leads the A-10 in rebounding (10.6 rpg) and is third in scoring (20.4 ppg). Sophomore De'Riante Jenkins is at 12.9 ppg overall while senior Jonathan Williams averages 9.4 points and leads the A-10 in assists per game (5.7).

THREE OF EIGHT A-10 VICTORIES HAVE COME AT THE BUZZER
The Patriots have enjoyed a flair for the dramatic throughout the Atlantic 10 schedule in 2017-18. Mason has walked off with a trio of victories, including two over Saint Joseph's (81-79 on 1/10, 79-76 on 2/21) and a win over Massachusetts. In the Feb. 24 victory over UMass, Ian Boyd converted a lay-in at the buzzer after a great look from Otis Livingston II. For Boyd, it marked his second-straight buzzer beater, as he also hit the game-winning 3-pointer vs. Saint Joseph's on Feb. 21. For his efforts, Andy Katz featured Boyd in his weekly NCAA.com column. The Patriots also were featured on SB Nation chronicling the team's slew of last second victories in 2017-18.

UP NEXT
Mason closes out the 2017-18 regular season on Saturday with a home contest vs. Richmond. Tip-off between the Patriots and Spiders is set for 7 p.m. inside EagleBank Arena. The game will be televised regionally on MASN. Mason won the first meeting this season in Richmond, 79-75, on Feb. 3.

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