WHEN: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: Mason (2-0), LIU (0-2)
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads, 3-2
LAST MEETING: Mason def. LIU, 78-74, on Dec. 6, 1988
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO: Click here
LIVE STATS: Click here
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF) 
TICKETS: Click here

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (2-0) continues its season-opening homestand with a Wednesday night contest against preseason NEC favorite Long Island University inside EagleBank Arena.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Sharks is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesay's game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN+, featuring commentary from Steve Kolbe. In addition, Bill Rohland will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network. Pregame coverage will begin at 6:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
• Mason (2-0) is off to its best start since 2013-14, when the Patriots began the campaign 4-0.

• Last time out, the Patriots upended Longwood 76-65 on Friday night. Mason shot a sizzling 64 percent (16-25) in the second half, marking the best FG% in a half by the Patriots since a 66.7 percent effort in the second stanza of a win over William & Mary on Dec. 1, 2018.

• Sophomore point guard Jamal Hartwell II led the Patriots with career bests in points (19), FG made (6) and rebounds (4) vs. the Lancers. He's averaging a team-best 15.5 ppg, shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range and has committed just one turnover through two games in 2019-20.

• Junior Javon Greene scored all 18 of his points in the second half and made 4-of-5 3pt FG in the frame. Greene is doing a little bit of everything in 2019-20 while averaging 14.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.0 apg and shooting 43.8 percent from deep.

• Redshirt-junior AJ Wilson is averaging 13.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg through two contests and has swatted five shots in each of the season's first two games. He currently ranks fifth in the nation in block rate (20.88 percent of opponent shots).

• Mason is holding opponents to 36.8 percent overall and 27.5 percent from 3-point range through two games.

• Through two games, Mason is grabbing an offensive rebound on 37.7 percent of missed shots (41st nationally) but allowing an offensive rebound on 39.3 percent of opponent misses (312th nationally).

HISTORY vs. LIU
Mason and LIU will meet for the sixth time on Wednesday after playing five times between 1980 and 1988. Mason is 2-0 in Fairfax against the Sharks (formerly Blackbirds) and 1-2 all time in Brooklyn. The Green & Gold have won three straight in the series.Two of Mason's top individual scoring performances have come against LIU. Carlos Yates scored 39 points in Mason's 94-90 win in Fairfax in December 1983. That total is the third-best in Mason single game history. Kenny Sanders dropped 36 (t-14th) in the 109-106 win on Dec. 21, 1987, in Brooklyn.

A LOOK AT THE SHARKS (0-2, 0-0 NORTHEAST)
LIU was picked to win the Northeast Conference in the 2019-20 NEC Preseason Poll while receiving five first place votes. The Sharks welcome back nine letter winners, including preseason All-NEC first team guard Raiquan Clark. A 2018-19 NEC First Team All-Conference selection, Clark led LIU in rebounds per game (6.8) and earned an NEC leading 18.9 ppg last season. He posted 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting in his first game of 2019-20 vs. UMass-Lowell. The Sharks also bring back 2018-19 NEC Third Team All-Conference selection Ty Flowers as well. The redshirt junior finished last season second on the team in ppg (13.5) and rebounds per game (6.6). He's averaging 17.0 points and 13.5 rebounds so far this season.

LIU opened the season with a 76-65 setback at Rhode Island and fell 87-74 to UMass-Lowell after the Riverhawks' Christian Lutete dropped 51 points (16-25 FG, 7-12 3pt FG, 12-13 FT) against the Sharks on Friday.

The Sharks earned a trip to the NEC conference semifinals last March but were bested by Saint Francis (Pa.) to end their 2019 campaign. Despite the exit in the conference tournament, the Sharks do have experience on their roster as four of their five current starters were part of their 2017-18 team that made a First Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament. A mid-major program on the rise over the past decade, LIU also made three-consecutive NCAA appearances from 2011-13.

MASON vs. BIG APPLE SCHOOLS
The Patriots have amassed an all-time record of 13-12 against colleges located within the five boroughs of New York City. The majority of those contests have come against Fordham (3-7), but Mason also has suited up against Manhattan (4-1), LIU (3-2), Wagner (2-0), St. Francis (1-0), St. John's (0-1) and Div. III Brooklyn College (0-1). The Patriots have played teams from the Bronx (Fordham, Manhattan), Staten Island (Wagner), Brooklyn (St. Francis, LIU) and Queens (St. John's). But the Patriots have never played a Manhattan-based college in men's basketball.

UP NEXT
Mason remains in EagleBank Arena to host its annual rivalry game with James Madison on Saturday night. The game will be televised on MASN. As part of 70s Night in Fairfax, the first 1000 fans will receive 70s prices on concessions, including $2 hot dogs, $1 popcorn and $1 soda.