WHEN: Sunday, 6 p.m.
WHERE: EagleBank Arena - Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (2-0), Morgan State (2-0)
SERIES: Mason leads, 4-1
LIVE VIDEO: Click here
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) will play host to Morgan State on Sunday night inside EagleBank Arena.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Bears is set for 6 p.m. Sunday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+, featuring commentary from Bill Rohland. In addition, Steve Kolbe will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network, with pre-game coverage beginning at 5:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
• The Patriots improved to 2-0 Friday with an 87-66 triumph over Penn. Five Patriots scored in double figures and Mason shot 56.4 percent in the win while limiting the Quakers to 38.7 percent.

• Preseason All-A-10 Third Team selection Josh Oduro led Mason with 20 points and made a career-best nine field goals on 14 attempts (.643) to go along with eight rebounds.

• Guard D'Shawn Schwartz added 18 points (4-7 3pt FG), while DeVon Cooper and Jamal Hartwell II (4-7 3pt FG) each chipped in 12 points for the Green & Gold.

• Junior point guard Xavier Johnson nearly tallied a triple-double in the win over the Quakers, finishing with 12 points and game highs in rebounds (9), assists (7) and steals (3).

• Johnson leads Mason in field goal percentage (.667), assists per game (4.0) and steals per game (3.5) this season. He ranks 44th nationally in steals/game and 79th in steal percentage.

• The Patriots rank 11th in the country in 2-point field goal percentage (.677) and have outscored their opponents in the paint, 83-42. Mason's effective field goal percentage (.625), which accounts for the increased value of a 3-pointer, is 14th nationally out of 358 teams.

• The Patriots' veteran presence has been on display this season. Mason players on the court have averaged 2.20 seasons of experience this season, which ranks 94th in the country. Mason has not ranked in the top-150 nationally in experience since the 2010-11 season.

• Mason's defensive emphasis has been apparent through two games, with both Patriot opponents shooting below 40 percent and scoring less than 70 points. The Patriots rank in the top-100 nationally in scoring defense (59.0 ppg, 76th) FG% defense (.365, 78th).

• The Patriots feature an up-tempo offense this season. Mason ranks 50th in the country in average possession length (15.4 seconds). The Patriots ranked 124th in possession length in 2020-21, 238th in 2019-20 and 158th in 2018-19.

• Mason's 2022 recruiting class, formally announced Wednesday, is ranked 48th in the nation by 247 Sports and 56th by Rivals.com.

• After Sunday's game, Mason will play its next five contests either on the road or at a neutral site.

HISTORY vs. MEAC OPPONENTS
Mason is 25-24 (.510) all time against teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Mason's most common opponents are Coppin State (8-14), Howard (7-4) and Morgan State (4-1). The majority of the meetings vs. Coppin State came when the Patriots and Eagles were members of NAIA District 19 in the early 1970s.

HISTORY vs. MORGAN STATE
Sunday's game marks the sixth all-time meeting between George Mason and Morgan State on the hardwood. All five matchups have been contested inside EagleBank Arena. The Patriots are 2-0 against the Bears over the past four seasons. Mason and Morgan State intended to match up last season, but that contest was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the most recent contest between the schools, Mason won, 82-75, on Nov. 28, 2018.

A LOOK AT THE BEARS (2-0, 0-0 MEAC; KenPom 254)
Morgan State was picked to finish second in the MEAC preseason poll and received three first place votes. The Bears have opened 2021-22 with sizable non-Division I victories over St. Mary's (Md.), 118-55, and Penn State Allegheny, 126-71. Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection De'Torrion Ware leads MSU with 22.0 points per game and is shooting 41.2 percent from 3-point range. Fellow preseason All-MEAC First Teamer Malik Miller tallied 16 points in the opener and did not play vs. PSUAG. New Mexico transfer Keith McGee is averaging 18 points, shooting 80 percent (16-20) and grabbing 5.0 steals per contest. Meanwhile, Preseason All-MEAC Third Teamer Lagio Grantsaam averages 13 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Over its two games, Morgan State has averaged 122 points and shot 60.1 percent from the floor while averaging a whopping 21 steals per contest.

UP NEXT
Mason hits the road for the first time to battle No. 21/21 Maryland Wednesday. Tip-off in the XFINITY Center is set for 7 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network.