WHERE: UVI Sports & Fitness Center - St. Thomas, USVI
WHEN: Saturday, 5:45 p.m. (ET)
RECORDS: George Mason (2-2, 0-0), Belmont (1-3, 0-0)
SERIES: Belmont leads, 1-0
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ST. THOMAS, USVI - The George Mason University men's basketball team continues play in the Paradise Jam on Saturday against Missouri Valley Conference foe Belmont.  
 
Tip-off between the Patriots and Bruins is set for 5:45 p.m. (ET). The game will be broadcast on ESPN3, featuring commentary from Brad Wells (play-by-play) and Kevin Lehman (color commentary). In addition, Bill Rohland will call the games on the GoMason Digital Network. Saturday's pregame coverage will begin at 5:30 p.m. (ET).  
 
PATRIOT POINTS 
• Last time out, the Patriots opened the Paradise Jam with a 71-56 setback to Boston College Friday night. Mason could not overcome a difficult defensive start, where The Eagles shot 58.8 percent in the opening stanza and built a sizable 47-21 edge at the break. 
 
• Victor Bailey Jr. led Mason with 15 points and seven rebounds. He is now just 46 points away from 1,000 for his career. 
 
• DeVon Cooper added 12 points and made a trio of 3-pointers. He is shooting 53.3 percent (8-15) from beyond the arc over the past two games.  
 
• Mason leads the A-10 and is 61st nationally in 3pt FG% (.391) through four games this season. 
 
• Preseason All-A-10 First Team selection Josh Oduro struggled with an uncharacteristic 0-for-4 night from the floor vs. BC. It marked his lowest scoring output since a Jan. 11, 2020 contest at La Salle during his freshman season.  
 
• Mason made just 8-of-17 free throw attempts (.471) against the Eagles. For the season, the Patriots rank 335th out of 363 teams nationally in free throw percentage (.567).  
 
• The Patriots outscored the Eagles 35-24 in the second half and held BC to 33.3 percent (8-24) from the floor. Mason also allowed just one offensive rebound in the second half - a point of emphasis for head coach Kim English.  
 
• Freshman point guard Devin Dinkins played a season-high 20 minutes and tallied five points while dishing out two assists and committing 0 turnovers. He was a team-best +7 while he was on the floor against the Eagles.  
 
HISTORY vs. MVC OPPONENTS 
Mason is 4-6 all time against schools currently in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Patriots' most common foe is Northern Iowa (3-3), who the Patriots faced in several home-and-home series over the years. Mason also has faced off with Bradley in a November MTE Tournament. The Patriots knocked off the Braves 77-66 at the 2016 Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. 
 
HISTORY vs. BELMONT 
Belmont has won the only meeting between the two programs. The Bruins took a 77-67 victory on November 27, 2020, as part of the Paradise Jam held at the D.C. Convention Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Patriots rocketed out of the gate and led by 14 (34-20) midway through the first half. But Belmont utilized a 16-0 run to enter halftime up by one (41-40), and then took advantage of a tough-shooting second half by the Patriots. Then-sophomore Josh Oduro contributed 12 points (6-10 FG), five rebounds and three steals.  
 
A LOOK AT THE BRUINS (1-3, 0-0 MVC; KenPom #156) 
Belmont was picked to finish fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll in the Bruins' inaugural season in the league. Belmont is 1-3 to begin the campaign, with a 70-69 home win over Ohio, road losses to Furman (89-74) and Lipscomb (77-75) and a Paradise Jam setback to Tarleton State (89-81). The Bruins are scoring 75.0 points/game and shooting an efficient 47.9 percent from the field. But the issues have been on the other end of the floor, where the Bruins are giving up 81 points per contest and allowing foes to shoot 51.8 percent. Ben Sheppared leads the team with 19.0 points and 5.0 assists per contest, while Cade Tyson adds 16.3 points/game and shoots 57.9 percent from the floor. Four Bruins average double figures for head coach Casey Alexander.  
 
UP NEXT 
The Patriots will wrap up the Paradise Jam on Monday against either Buffalo or Howard, depending on Saturday's results. With a win, Mason would play at 3:15 p.m. With a loss, the Patriots would tip at 1 p.m.