WHERE: EagleBank Arena - Fairfax, Va.
WHEN: Saturday, 2 p.m.
RECORDS: George Mason (12-2, 1-0), Saint Louis (7-7, 0-1)
SERIES: SLU leads, 11-4
TELEVISION: USA Network
LIVE VIDEO: Click here
LIVE AUDIO: Click here
LIVE STATS: Click here
TICKETS: Click here
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

PROMOTION: It's DMV Day! The Washington Nationals Racing Presidents will be on the concourse pregame to take photos and then they will do their famous race at halftime on the court. Come meet Abe, Tom, George and of course, Teddy!

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (12-2, 1-0) hosts Saint Louis (7-7, 0-1) for its A-10 home opener on Saturday afternoon inside EagleBank Arena.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Billikens is set for 2 p.m. inside EagleBank Arena. Saturday's game will be broadcast nationally on USA Network, featuring commentary from Steve Schlanger 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.

• The Patriots are 12-2 to begin the season and are 66th in the NCAA NET rankings. That's Mason's all-time best NET ranking at this point in the season.

• With a win on Saturday, George Mason would improve to 13-2 and match the best start in program history (1983-84). The Patriots tallied 11 non-conference wins this season for just the second time in the past 40 campaigns.

• The Patriots have won five straight games, including a 77-62 triumph in the team's A-10 opener on Wednesday at La Salle. Mason trailed by six (43-37) at the break but outscored the Explorers 40-19 in the second half. That included a 31-6 run over a 15-minute stretch.

• Mason held the Explorers to just 21.4 percent shooting (6-28) in the second half and 37.7 percent (23-61) overall. The Patriots have yet to allow an opponent to shoot 50 percent from the floor over 14 games. That's the longest stretch for a Mason team to begin a season since 2011-12.

• The Patriots feature one of the most potent defenses in the country. Mason ranks fifth nationally in 2pt FG defense (.414), ninth in overall FG defense (.378) and 57th in scoring defense (65.4). The Patriots allow 0.999 points/possession (80th).

• Sophomore Keyshawn Hall led Mason at La Salle with game highs in points (27, 10-17 FG) and rebounds (13) to go along with three assist. It marked his third 25+ point game of the year. Hall ranks fifth nationally in defensive rebounds/game (8.5) and seventh in double-doubles (8). He leads the A-10 in both of those categories.

• Senior Darius Maddox added an efficient 15 points (6-10 FG, 3-4 3pt FG) and grabbed a season-high seven rebounds. He has now scored 13+ points in each of his past 10 games.

• Mason held a dominant +18 (41-23) edge on the glass at La Salle. The Patriots lead the A-10 in rebounding margin (+7.1) and are a perfect 12-0 when winning the battle on the boards this season.

• The Patriots shot 53.8 percent from 3 (7-13) vs. the Explorers and now rank third the A-10 and 33rd nationally in 3pt FG pct (.378). Mason also now ranks 43rd in overall FG percentage (.482). The Patriots have shot 50+ percent in three of the past four games.

• The Green & Gold are a season-best 88th in the KenPom rankings. That's the program's highest ranking in the metric since November 2013.

SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST
After averaging 4.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks over his first four college seasons at Duquesne and UNC Wilmington, forward Amari Kelly has blossomed during his graduate season in Fairfax. The Norcross, Ga., product is averaging career highs in points (12.2), rebounds (6.6), blocks (1.5) and assists (1.5) while shooting 57 percent from the floor. After making just six 3-pointers in his first 112 college games, Kelly has knocked down nine in 13 games this season while shooting 50 percent from deep. He ranks second in the A-10 in double-doubles (4), eighth in offensive rebounds/game (2.2) and ninth in blocks/game (1.5).

HISTORY vs. SAINT LOUIS
Saturday's game marks the 15th all-time meeting between George Mason and Saint Louis in men's basketball. The Billikens hold an 11-4 advantage in the all-time series. SLU has won nine of the past 10 contests and holds a 4-2 edge in Fairfax. Two of the past three contests have been decided by two points or less. The Billikens won both matchups last season, including a 63-62 victory in St. Louis on Jan. 11, 2023, and a 82-54 triumph in the A-10 Quarterfinals in Brooklyn on March 9. Ronald Polite III averaged 12.0 points and 3.0 assists over the two games last season.

A LOOK AT THE BILLIKENS (7-7, 0-1 A-10; NET #236, KenPom #202)
Saint Louis was picked to finish sixth in the 2023-24 A-10 Preseason Poll. The Billikens started 4-0 but since then have lost seven of their last 10 games. The Billikens lost their A-10 opener to Loyola Chicago, 73-80 on Wednesday. Redshirt-junior Gibson Jimerson made the Preseason All-A-10 First Team, and currently leads his team in points-per-game (16.3), made 3-pointers (33), free throws per game (5.1), and minutes played (492). The Billikens are 42nd in the nation in 3-point percentage and 47th in the nation for free throws attempted per game (22.9). The team averages 73.9 ppg and shoots 45 percent from the floor.

PATRIOTS GRAB ROAD WIN IN A-10 OPENER
George Mason began conference play with a 77-62 win at La Salle on January 3. The win improved Mason to 5-6 all time in A-10 openers. The Patriots have won three of the past four and four of the past six A-10 debuts dating back to 2018-19.

UP NEXT
George Mason remains at home to host VCU on Tuesday night. Tip-off between the Patriots and Rams is scheduled for 7 p.m. The contest will be broadcast on MASN and streamed on ESPN+.