WHERE: EagleBank Arena - Fairfax, Va.
WHEN: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS: George Mason (5-3), UNC Asheville (3-3)
SERIES: First meeting
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PROMOTION: Holiday Toy Drive! For every toy donated at the EagleBank Arena box office, receive a $5 ticket at the box office.

FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason (5-3) returns to Fairfax for a two-game homestand, beginning with a Tuesday night contest vs. UNC Asheville (3-3).

Tip-off between the Patriots and Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+, featuring commentary from Voice of the Patriots Bill Rohland and former George Mason standout Will Thomas ('08). In addition, Steve Kolbe will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network, with streaming coverage beginning at 6:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
• The Patriots have won three games in a row. Most recently, the Green & Gold earned a 66-61 victory at former league rival James Madison on Black Friday in Harrisonburg.

• Jalen Haynes led the Patriots with a season-best 20 points (8-13 FG) and scored three-straight baskets during a critical stretch late in the second half. He's averaging 15 points and shooting 67.9 percent over the past three games.

• K.D. Johnson added 14 points (4-7 FG), five rebounds and three assists. He's averaging 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shooting 53.3 percent over the past two games.

• GM leading scorer Darius Maddox added 13 points, but left the game with 12:34 remaining due to an ankle injury.

• The Patriots entered their Nov. 20 game ranked 325th nationally with 16.0 turnovers/game, but have committed just 8.7/contest during the three-game win streak. Mason is 4-0 when tallying fewer than 15 turnovers and 4-0 when winning the turnover battle this season.

• George Mason limited James Madison, who entered the game top-60 nationally in 3-pointers made/game and percentage, to just 25 percent (10-40) from beyond the arc. Overall, the Dukes shot 36 percent (23-64) on their home floor.

• Much like Coach Skinn's first season at the helm, the Patriots feature an outstanding FG defense. Per KenPom, George Mason is sixth nationally in effective FG defense (.407) and 12th in 2pt defense (.412).

• GM's overall FG defense is second nationally (.345) while the team's 3pt defense is 20th (.265). The Patriots are 65th nationally in overall defensive efficiency (0.988 points allowed/possession).

• George Mason has excelled at getting to the free throw line this season. GM is +40 (155-115) vs. opponents in free throws made on the year and the team has made more freebies than its opponent in six of eight contests. GM is18th nationally in FT made/game (19.4).

• The Patriots enter the first NET rankings of the season at 79th nationally. GM also is 84th in the Ken Pomeroy rankings. Prior to the campaign, the Patriots earned a spot in the preseason KenPom top-100 for the first time since 2013-14.

• The Patriots have taken advantage of a deep bench throughout the course of the season. GM's bench accounts for 37.5 percent of the team's total minutes, which ranks 55th nationally. The Patriots hold a +98 (230-132) edge in bench scoring on the year and outscore opponent reserves by an average of 12.3 points/game.

• The Green & Gold will play four of their next five games inside EagleBank Arena. That stretch is capped by the A-10 opener vs. Davidson on New Year's Eve.

HISTORY vs. UNC ASHEVILLE
Tuesday's game marks the first ever meeting between George Mason and UNC Asheville in men's basketball.

HISTORY vs. BIG SOUTH FOES
George Mason is 23-6 (.793) all time against current members of the Big South Conference. The Patriots' most common opponents are Radford (14-4), Charleston Southern (4-2) and Longwood (4-0). In the most recent matchup with a Big South foe, George Mason knocked off Longwood, 83-69, on November 11, 2022 in Fairfax. Josh Oduro led the Patriots with 20 points (6-7 FG), 12 rebounds and three assists.

A LOOK AT THE BULLDOGS (4-3, 0-0 Sun Belt; NET #178, KenPom #172)
UNC Asheville was picked fourth out of eight teams in the 2024-25 Big South preseason poll. The Bulldogs own a pair of road wins over North Florida (89-75) and Tennessee State (92-74) and a neutral site victory over Southeast Missouri State (72-64). UNCA ranks 26th in the nation in offensive rebounds/game (14.5) and is third in the Big South in overall rebounding (39.3/game). Josh Banks ranks second in the league in scoring (16.7 ppg) and 3pt FG percentage (43.8 percent, 21-48). Toyaz Solomon adds 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds/contest while shooting a team-best 57.3 percent from the floor. Jordan Marsh (14.3 ppg) and Fletcher Abee (13.7 ppg) also average double figures for the Bulldogs. Abee also leads the Big South and ranks 29th nationally in 3pt percentage (.477, 21-44).

UP NEXT
George Mason remains in Fairfax to host American Athletic Conference foe Tulane on Saturday (Dec. 7) at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.