WHEN: Saturday, 2 p.m. (ET)
WHERE: Tom Gola Arena, Philadelphia, Pa.
RECORDS: Mason (11-4, 0-2), La Salle (10-5, 1-2)
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads, 4-2
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GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team plays its first A-10 road game of the season Saturday when the Patriots battle La Salle in Philly.

Tip-off inside Tom Gola Arena is set for 2 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+. In addition, Bill Rohland will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network, with streaming coverage beginning at 1:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
• Mason will look to snap a three-game losing skid Saturday. During that stretch, the Patriots have struggled offensively, averaging 53.7 points while shooting 35.8 percent and 29.2 percent from 3-point range.

• The Patriots started 5-of-7 from 3-point range Wednesday vs. St. Bonaventure and led 19-4, but scored 30 points in the next 34 minutes as SBU held a +16 (34-18) edge in the second half en route to a 61-49 win.

• Justin Kier (11 points, 3-6 3pt FG) and AJ Wilson (11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks) led Mason against the Bonnies. Freshman guard Xavier Johnson made his first careeer start, played 36 minutes and dished out three assists.

• Redshirt-junior AJ Wilson is third in the nation in blocks/game (3.67). Wilson is fourth on Mason's all-time blocks list (127) and his 55 blocks in 2019-20 is t-3rd in single season history.

• SBU held a +20 (44-24) edge on the glass against Mason. Prior to the TCU game, the Patriots averaged a +5.4 rebounding margin. During the losing skid, Mason's average is -15.0.

• Mason's 11 regular season non-conference wins are a Division I school record. The Patriots had 10 victories in 2016-17 and 2010-11, and nine in 2011-12 and 2007-08. The 1983-84 team (Div. II) tallied 16 regular season non-conference wins. Mason began the year 5-0 for the first time in school history.

• Through two A-10 games, Kier is averaging 11 points and shooting 40 percent from 3-point range in 32.6 minutes per contest.

• Offensive rebounds continue to be both a strength and weakness for the Patriots. Per KenPom, Mason grabs an offensive board on 32.2 percent of their possessions (68th nationally), but gives one up on 31.2 percent of possessions (285th nationally).

• The Patriots commit just 15.5 personal fouls per game (62nd nationally, 3rd in A-10) and the team's defensive free throw rate (opponent FT attempts/FG attempts) is just 23.3 percent, good for 23rd nationally.

• Wilson leads Mason with 12.8 ppg in road/neutral site games this season. He also averages 9.4 rebounds and 3.6 blocks. Jamal Hartwell II is at 12.4 ppg and shoots 36.7 percent from 3-point range away from EagleBank Arena.

HISTORY vs. LA SALLE
Saturday's matchup marks the seventh all-time meeting between Mason and La Salle. The programs had never met prior to the Patriots' entry into the Atlantic 10 in 2013-14. The Patriots have won all three meetings in Fairfax, but the Explorers have captured two of three in Philly. Last season, Mason won 84-76 in EagleBank Arena behind a career-best 21 points and seven rebounds from then junior Javon Greene. Mason senior Justin Kier has played in two career games vs. the Explorers and put up an impressive 16 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 66.7 percent (14-21) from the floor.

A LOOK AT THE EXPLORERS (10-5, 1-2 A-10; NET No.  169, KenPom No. 158)
La Salle was picked to finish 10th out of 14 teams in the 2019-20 Atlantic 10 preseason poll. The Explorers put together a strong 9-3 non-conference slate, including a title-winning 3-0 performance at the Gulf Coast Showcase. La Salle has dropped two of its three A-10 games, including an 84-58 setback to #15 Dayton in Tom Gola Arena and a victory at Fordham. The Explorers feature a top-100 KenPom defense (95th, 0.96 points/possession) and rank 40th nationally in 3pt FG defense (.290). La Salle is led by senior Isiah Deas, who averages 12.7 points per game. Junior David Beatty is at 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest, while sophomore Ed Croswell chips in 9.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest.

ACTIVATING SUCCESS IN THE ATLANTIC 10
Over the last three seasons, George Mason has become one of the most consistent programs in the A-10. The Patriots are one of just four programs to post a league record of .500 or better in each of the past three campaigns. The other programs are Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure and VCU. Mason has averaged 9.7 A-10 wins over the past three seasons. The Patriots averaged 4.3 conference victories over their first three seasons in the league.
 
UP NEXT
Mason returns to the DMV to play at Revolutionary Rival George Washington on Wednesday (January 15). Tip-off inside the Smith Center is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.