WHEN: Saturday, 4 p.m.
WHERE: EagleBank Arena - Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (4-1, 0-0), Norfolk State (3-3, 0-0)
SERIES RECORD: First meeting
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LIVE AUDIO: Click here
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TICKETS: Click here
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)
GAME PROGRAM: Click here

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (4-1) plays its final contest in a three-game homestand Saturday when the Patriots host Norfolk State.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Spartans inside EagleBank Arena is set for 4 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+, featuring commentary from Bill Rohland. In addition, Rohland will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network, with streaming coverage beginning at 3:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
• The Patriots won their third-straight contest Wednesday, knocking off Towson 70-65 inside EagleBank Arena. Mason led for nearly the entire game, including by 10 (62-52) with 4:20 to go.

• Sophomore Josh Oduro led the Patriots with a career-best 19 points (8-14 FG) vs. the Tigers to go along with a team-high eight rebounds. 16 of Oduro's 19 points came in the second half.

• Senior Javon Greene added 13 points (5-9 FG), while junior Jamal Hartwell II chipped in 12 points (3-4 3pt FG). Hartwell is shooting 71.4 percent from deep (5-7) over the past two games.

• AJ Wilson leads the A-10 and ranks ninth in the country with 3.0 blocks per game. He is second on the all-time Mason blocks list (174).

• Mason is allowing an offensive rebound on just 22.6 percent of opponent possessions this season (44th nationally) and has given up less than 10 offensive boards in four of five games.

• Mason's top-three assist men - Jamal Hartwell II, Xavier Johnson and Tyler Kolek - have combined for 37 assists and just 12 turnovers through five games (3.1 A/10 ratio). Kolek is fourth in the A-10 in A/TO ratio (3.67), Johnson is sixth (3.25) and Hartwell II is ninth (2.6).

• The Patriots are shooting 37.2 percent from 3-point range over the past three games and making 11.7 triples per contest.

• Mason is getting 38.4 percent of its scoring from 3-pointers this season, which ranks 34th-most nationally. This comes in stark contrast to the Patriots' first five seasons under Paulsen, when Mason on average has ranked 289th nationally in percentage of points which come from beyond the arc.

• The Patriots have struggled mightily from the free throw line over the past two games. Mason has made just 20 of 45 attempts (.444). In games against Div. I competition, the Patriots rank 327th out of 330 teams which have competed in 2020-21 (54.5 FT%).

• Through five games, Mason has turned the ball over on just 16.7 percent of its possessions (55th nationally), compared to 20.1 percent last season (256th nationally).

HISTORY vs. NORFOLK STATE
Mason and Norfolk State will meet for the first time ever on the men's basketball court Saturday.

HISTORY vs. IN-STATE DIV. I OPPONENTS
Saturday's game marks the 402nd all-time game for Mason against an in-state, Div. I foe. The Patriots are 188-213 (.469) vs. Commonwealth opponents over the past 53 seasons. Harkening back to its CAA history, Mason's most common in-state opponents are James Madison (49-50), William & Mary (40-28), Richmond (25-39), VCU (21-42) and Old Dominion (22-36). This season, Mason already has picked up a win over VMI and also will play its traditional home-and-home series with the Rams and the Spiders.

A LOOK AT THE SPARTANS (3-3, KenPom #246)
Norfolk State was picked to win the Northern Division of the MEAC in the league's 2020-21 preseason poll. The Spartans are 3-3 to begin the campaign, but are coming off consecutive losses to UNCG (64-47) and UNC Wilmington (80-72). Norfolk State ranks 22nd nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.400) and is in the top-50 nationally in both field goal percentage defense (.367, 17th) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.276). Preseason All-MEAC Third Team pick Devante Parker leads NSU in scoring (16.8 ppg) while posting 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest. JJ Matthews adds 11.7 points per game, while Daryl Anderson chips in 9.2 points and is shooting a sizzling 63.6 percent (14-22) from beyond the arc.

UP NEXT
Mason opens Atlantic 10 play on Wednesday (Dec. 30) when the Patriots head to Amherst to battle Massachusetts. Tip-off in the Mullins Center is set for 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.