WHEN: Saturday, 2 p.m.
WHERE: Ryan Center - Kingston, R.I.
RECORDS: George Mason (6-5, 2-3), Rhode Island (6-7, 3-3)
SERIES RECORD: Mason trails, 4-6
LAST MEETING: URI def. Mason, 78-64, on January 28, 2020 in Fairfax, Va.
TELEVISION: NBC Sports Network
LIVE VIDEO: Click here
LIVE AUDIO: Click here
LIVE STATS: Click here
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (6-5, 2-3) hits the road for a Saturday contest at Rhode Island (6-7, 3-3).

Tip-off between the Patriots and Rams is set for 2 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network, featuring commentary from Jason Knapp and Tim McCormick. In addition, Bill Rohland will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network, with streaming coverage beginning at 1:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
* The Patriots are coming off their most complete effort of the season, a 75-42 throttling of La Salle on Wednesday inside EagleBank Arena.

* Mason's 33-point margin of victory marked its largest ever in an A-10 contest and its biggest overall since a 37-point win over Longwood on Dec. 12, 2016 (97-60).

* The Patriots limited La Salle to 26.1 percent shooting - the lowest mark by a Mason opponent since a Nov. 30, 2016 win at Northern Iowa (.259).

* La Salle's 42 points marked the fewest allowed by Mason since a November 15, 2011 win over Monmouth (39).

* Senior Javon Greene led Mason with an A-10 season-best 18 points (6-12 FG) to go along with eight rebounds. With his final point of the night, he became the 39th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point milestone.

* Redshirt-senior AJ Wilson added his second double-double of the season and ninth of his career with 15 points (6-8 FG) and 12 rebounds. The A-10 Weekly Honor roll selection leads Mason with 14.0 points per game over the past four contests and is shooting 54.3 percent from the floor during that period.

* Sophomore Josh Oduro added an A-10 personal-best 17 points (8-14 FG) and dished out a team-high four assists.

* Mason is shooting 26.7 percent (11-45) from 3-point range over the past three games. The Patriots have made 35 percent of their 3-point attempts in road/neutral games, but just 27.3 percent at home (35-128).

* Mason leading scorer Jordan Miller (14.6 ppg) averages 20.2 points and shoots 51.5 percent in road/neutral games, compared to 7.5 points per game and 37.5 percent shooting at home.

*  The Patriots lead the A-10 in field goal percentage defense (.407) in league games this season.

* Bolstered by the rim protection of Wilson and Oduro, Mason ranks 52nd nationally this season in 2pt FG defense (.453). However, Mason opponents are shooting 35.4 percent from 3-point range (264th nationally).

* Mason is wrapping up a difficult part of its A-10 schedule in which four of five opponents ranked in the top-70 of the KenPom rankings: Dayton (67), VCU (54), Richmond (58) and Rhode Island (68). After the game against the Rams, Mason'will play back-to-back games against Saint Joseph's (189) and a home game vs. GW (202).

* The Patriots are 4-0 when scoring 70+ points this season but just 2-5 when failing to hit the 70-point plateau. Mason also is 4-0 when holding its opponent under 40 percent shooting this season.

HISTORY vs. RHODE ISLAND
Saturday's matchup marks the 11th all-time meeting between Mason and Rhode Island. The Rams hold a 6-4 advantage in the series and have won five of the past six meetings. Rhode Island has captured three of the five matchups in Fairfax and three of the five in Kingston. Last season, the Rams won 78-64 on Jan. 28 in EagleBank Arena. AJ Wilson led the Patriots with 23 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, while Jordan Miller added 11 points and seven rebounds.

In Mason's 84-67 victory over URI in Kingston during the 2018-19 campaign (1/13/19), Miller, then a freshman, made his Mason debut afrer a plan to redshirt him changed due to injuries on the Patriot roster. The Middleburg, Va., product dazzled with 14 points, two blocks and two steals in just 23 minutes. Javon Greene notched 15 points (2-4 3pt FG) and dished out three assists as well in the victory.

Select Career Averages vs. Rhode Island (Min. 2 games played)
Jordan Miller (2 games): 12.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 47.1 FG% (10-21)
AJ Wilson (2 games): 9.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 68.4 FG% (13-19)
Javon Greene (3 games): 8.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 2.0 spg, 34.8 FG% (8-23), 21.4 3pt FG% (3-14)
Greg Calixte (3 games): 5.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 44.4 FG% (8-18)
Jamal Hartwell II (2 games): 3.5 ppg, 33.3 FG% (3-9), 20.0 3pt FG% (1-5)

A LOOK AT THE RAMS (6-7, 3-3 A-10, NET #76, KenPom #68)
Rhode Island was picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll. The Rams have played a top-25 schedule nationally, including a non-conference slate with all top-100 opponents. The highlight came at home with a 76-63 win over Seton Hall on Dec. 2. URI is 3-3 to begin A-10 play, including wins at VCU (83-68) and over St. Bonaventure (63-57). The Rams lost in overtime at UMass, 80-78, in their most recent game Wednesday. URI sports a top-50 KenPom defense, giving up just 0.936 points/possession (44th) and allowing opponents to shoot just 46 percent from 2-point range (66th nationally). The Rams are adept at getting to the free throw line, ranking seventh nationally in free throws made (216) and fourth in attempts (321).

Rhode Island is led by Preseason All-A-10 First Team selection Fatts Russell, who leads the team in scoring (15.2 ppg) and ranks third in the country in free throws made (77). He also dishes out a team-best 3.9 assists/game. Jeremy Sheppard adds 10.3 points per game and shoots 49.5 percent from the floor, while Antawn Walker averages 8.5 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per contest.

HOMECOMING FOR KOLEK
Freshman Tyler Kolek will return to his native Ocean State for Saturday's game at Rhode Island. A Cumberland product, Kolek starred at Cumberland High School before a two-season stint at St. George's School in Middletown. In 2018-19, Kolek was named the Gatorade Rhode Island Player of the Year and earned NEPSAC Class B Player of the Year honors in 2020.

UP NEXT
Mason returns home for the first of two-straight contests against Saint Joseph's. Tip-off on Wednesday between the Hawks and Patriots is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.