WHERE: Fogelman Arena - New Orleans, La.
WHEN: Friday, 2 p.m. 
RECORDS: George Mason (9-2), Tulane (8-2)
SERIES: George Mason leads, 2-1
LAST MEETING: Mason def. Tulane, 62-56, on Dec. 17, 2022 in Chicago, Ill.
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GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (9-2) heads to the Big Easy for a Friday afternoon contest vs. AAC foe Tulane (8-2).

Tip-off between the Patriots and Green Wave is set for 2 p.m. Friday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+. 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 9-2 to begin the season and are 78th in the NCAA NET rankings.

• Mason wrapped up a 2-0 homestand Tuesday with an 84-60 win over Bridgewater (Va.) inside EagleBank Arena.

• The Patriots held the Eagles to just 27.2 percent (9-33) from 2pt range Saturday. Mason is fourth nationally in 2pt FG defense (.411) through 11 games this season.

• Sophomore Keyshawn Hall exploded for 36 points on a impressive 15-of-18 performance from the floor. He also grabbed 12 rebounds for his A-10 leading sixth double-double.

• Hall's 36-point effort fell just three points shy of the EBA building record, set by Javon Greene in January 2020 (39). It was the first 30+ point/10+ rebound performance by a Patriot since a 35-point, 14-rebound game from Ryan Pearson in December 2011.

• Freshman guard Baraka Okojie added a career-best 17 points (8-10 FT), to go along with six rebounds. Okojie ranks ninth nationally amongst freshmen in free throws made (38) this season. He has tallied 10+ points in four contests and ranks second on the team in assists (22).

• Senior Woody Newton posted a career-best five blocks Tuesday. It was the first 5+ block effort by a Patriot since Josh Oduro in Jan. 2022.

• Mason was without three regulars in Tuesday's contest, including Darius Maddox (neck), Malik Henry (personal) and Amari Kelly (one-game suspension).

• The Patriots rank second in the A-10 and 36th nationally in 3pt FG percentage (.378). However, Mason has struggled from deep over the past two games while shooting at just a 22.6 (7-31) percent clip.

• Mason ranks second in the A-10 in rebounding margin (+5.4). The Patriots are a perfect 9-0 when winning the battle on the boards this season.

• The victory over Bridgewater improved Mason to 7-0 at home this season. The Patriots have won 21 of their past 23 games inside EagleBank Arena.

• With wins in the team's final two non-league games, George Mason would match the program's most non-conference wins since 1983-84.

HISTORY vs. AAC FOES
Mason has tallied a 44-23 all time record against opponents from the American Athletic Conference. The bulk of those contests came against East Carolina (34-15) when both programs were a part of the CAA. The Patriots' other most common AAC foes are Wichita State (3-2), Charlotte (3-1) and Tulane (2-1). Friday's game against the Green Wave will mark Mason's third against an AAC foe this season. The Patriots defeated East Carolina, 81-59, on Nov. 25 in Fairfax and fell to Charlotte, 54-49, on Nov. 19 in the Jacksonville Classic.

HISTORY vs. TULANE
Friday's game marks the fourth all-time meeting between George Mason and Tulane in men's basketball. The programs first played a home-and-home series in the late 2000s, with Mason winning 60-52 in Fairfax on Dec. 22, 2008, and Tulane capturing the return game in New Orleans, 76-71, on Nov. 28, 2009. Last season, the Patriots and Green Wave met in the Legends of Basketball Showcase on Dec. 17, 2022, at Chicago's United Center. Mason held Tulane to 33.9 percent shooting in the win. Friday's game starts a new home-and-home series between the programs. The Patriots will host a return game in Fairfax during the 2024-25 campaign.

A LOOK AT THE GREEN WAVE (8-2, 0-0 AAC; NET #113, KenPom #102)
Tulane was picked to finish third in the 2023-24 AAC Preseason Poll. The Green Wave are 8-2 to begin the season and are 6-0 at home. Tulane features one of the nation's top offenses. The team leads the country in field goal percentage (.536) and free throws made/game (24.3) and is third in points/game (91.7). Defensively, the Green Wave pressure the ball while ranking 10th nationally in steals/game (10.4) and 25th in turnovers forced/contest (16.1). Preseason All-AAC pick Kevin Cross leads Tulane in scoring (19.0 ppg), rebounding (8.0 rpg) and assists (5.6 apg) while shooting 63.6 percent from the floor. He's recorded a pair of triple-doubles on the year. Kolby King (15.6 ppg, 57.6 FG%), Sion James (15.0 ppg, 59.3 FG%), Preseason All-AAC selection Jaylen Forbes (14.4 ppg) and Collin Holloway (13.5 ppg) also average double figures for the Green Wave.

UP NEXT
The Patriots take a competitive holiday break before wrapping up non-conference play on December 30 in Fairfax. George Mason will battle North Carolina A&T at 2 p.m. and the contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.