WHERE: Ryan Center - Kingston, R.I.
WHEN: Saturday, 12 p.m.
RECORDS: George Mason (11-8, 3-3), Rhode Island (6-12, 2-4)
SERIES: Rhode Island leads, 7-4
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FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team heads to the Ocean State for a Saturday matinee against Rhode Island in Kingston.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Rams is set for 12 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+. In addition, Bill Rohland will handle play-by-play duties on the GoMason Digital Network, with pregame coverage beginning at 11:45 a.m. (ET).  

PATRIOT POINTS
• The Patriots dropped their first home game of the season Monday during a 78-75 setback to GW in Fairfax. Mason shot 57.7 percent in the second half, but 17 total turnovers led to a +6 (17-11) edge in points off turnovers for the Colonials. GW also held a 17-6 advantage in fast break points.

• Junior Ronald Polite III led the Patriots with a team-high 19 points (3-5 3pt FG) to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. He's second on the team in scoring in league games (14.2 ppg) and has tallied 10+ points in five of the past six games.

• Josh Oduro added 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists vs. the Colonials.  He is averaging 20.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists over Mason's past four games.

• Oduro was named the A-10 Player of the Week on Monday after stellar performances at SLU and vs. Davidson. He paces the A-10 and ranks 29th nationally with seven double-doubles this season. Oduro leads the A-10 with 10.3 rebounds/contest in league play and is fourth in scoring (17.7 ppg).

• Oduro has thrived in Mason's two-big lineup and dominated the offensive glass. He's averaging 5.5 offensive rebounds/game over the past four contests. He leads the league in offensive boards/contest in A-10 play (4.17).   

• With his second rebound vs. GW, Oduro became just the fourth player in school history with 1,000 career points, 600 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 assists.

• Amongst players nationally 6-foot-9 and above, Oduro ranks sixth in assists (57).

• Graduate guard Victor Bailey Jr. is shooting a sizzling 56.9 percent (29-51) from 3pt range over the past 10 games.

• The Patriots rank 35th nationally in effective field goal percentage (.540), marking Mason's most efficient shooting mark in the KenPom era (2001-23).

• Mason ranks second in the A-10 and 65th nationally in 3pt FG percentage (.361). The Patriots shot 42.1 percent (8-19) from deep against the Colonials.

• George Mason has held its opponent to 30 percent or less from 3pt range in 13 games this season. However, over the past five contests, opponents are shooting 36.9 percent (41-111) from deep against the Patriots.

• George Mason is 10-1 at home this season and 20-5 inside EagleBank Arena under head coach Kim English. Mason's 10-0 home start was the program's best since 2010-11.

• The Patriots begin a stretch Saturday in which they will play four of their next six contests on the road.

ODURO NAMED A-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior forward Josh Oduro earned the third Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honor of his career on Monday. Oduro averaged 24.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in games at Saint Louis and vs. Davidson. He also shot 62.1 percent (18-29) and averaged 6.5 offensive boards/contest over the two games.

HISTORY vs. RHODE ISLAND
Saturday's matchup marks the 12th all-time meeting between Mason and Rhode Island. The Rams hold a 7-4 advantage in the series and have won six of the past seven meetings. Rhode Island has captured four of the six matchups in Kingston. The two teams did not play last season due to COVID-19 cancellations. In the most recent matchup. the Rams took an 80-60 victory on Jan. 16, 2021 inside the Ryan Center.

A LOOK AT THE RAMS (6-12, 2-4 A-10; NET #236, KenPom #211)
Rhode Island was picked to finish ninth in the 2022-23 Atlantic 10 preseason poll. The Rams went 4-8 during the non-conference season and are 2-4 to begin A-10 play, with home wins over Fordham and St. Bonaventure. URI has put together a strong defensive club this season but has struggled on the offensive end, where the Rams average 0.997 points/possession (259th nationally) and have compiled an effective field goal percentage of .443 (348th out of 363). Ishmael Leggett leads URI with 15.9 points/game, grabs 6.1 rebounds/contest and dishes out 2.6 assists/contest. GW transfer Brayon Freeman adds 13.6 points/game and a team-best 3.1 assists/game.

UP NEXT
George Mason remains on the road for a Wednesday contest at VCU. Tip-off in Richmond between the Patriots and Rams is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on MASN and ESPN+.