Game 11: GMU (8-2) vs Bridgewater College (9-3) on Tuesday, December 19, at 7:00 PM.

[Pablo]

Patriots Take On Bridgewater (Va.) Tuesday in Fairfax - George Mason University Athletics

The George Mason University men's basketball team (8-2) wraps up a two-game holiday homestand with a Tuesday night contest vs. Bridgewater (Va.).

gomason.com

"PATRIOT POINTS
• The Patriots are 8-2 to begin the season and are 72nd in the NCAA NET rankings.

• Mason is coming off a 62-54 win over Loyola (Md.) on Saturday. Despite shooting a season-low 25 percent from deep (5-20) and 38.8 percent overall, the Patriots played to their pedigree on the defensive end while limiting the Greyhounds to 31 percent shooting overall (18-58) and 26.1 percent (6-23) from 3pt range.

• The Patriots held Loyola to just 34.3 percent from 2pt range Saturday. Mason is fourth nationally in 2pt FG defense (.411) through 10 games this season.

• Sophomore forward Keyshawn Hall paced the Patriots with his A-10-leading fifth double-double of the season. He notched game highs in points (17) and rebounds (13) against the Greyhounds.

• Senior Darius Maddox added 13 points, a season-best two blocks and went a career-best 7-of-7 from the free throw line. He is averaging a team-best 15.6 points over the last five games while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from deep.

• Junior Jared Billups added 10 points and grabbed a season-best eight rebounds vs. the Greyhounds, including five on the offensive end. He has now scored 10+ points in three games this season.

• The Patriots rank third in the A-10 and 31st nationally in 3pt FG percentage (.384). Mason has shot 40 percent or better from deep in five games in 2023-24.

• Mason ranks second in the A-10 in rebounding margin (+4.3). The Patriots are a perfect 8-0 when winning the battle on the boards this season.

• Mason is 6-0 at home this season and has won 20 of its past 22 games inside EagleBank Arena.

• Two of the Patriots' final three non-conference games will be played in Fairfax. The Green & Gold will look to match the program's Div. I record for non-conference victories (11), set during the 2019-20 campaign.

PORTAL PROWESS
George Mason head coach Tony Skinn inherited just three scholarship players when he took the job in April. He immediately got to work in the portal and brought in a talented group of new student-athletes. All three of the Patriots' top scorers and four of the top six this season are transfer players. Keyshawn Hall (UNLV), Darius Maddox (Virginia Tech), Amari Kelly (UNCW) and Woody Newton (Oklahoma State) combined to average 26.0 points last season at their previous institutions. At Mason, the quartet has combined for 46.7 points/contest.

HISTORY vs. ODAC FOES
George Mason is 19-29 (.396) all time against programs currently in the Div. III Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The Patriots' most common foes are Randolph Macon (3-11), Virginia Wesleyan (8-2) and Roanoke (3-6). The bulk of the matchups came during Mason's NAIA and Division II seasons (pre-1979). In the most recent meeting with an ODAC foe, the Patriots knocked off Shenandoah, 120-84, on Nov. 30, 1991 in Fairfax.

HISTORY vs. BRIDGEWATER (VA.)
Tuesday's game marks the third all-time meeting between George Mason and Bridgewater (Va.) in men's basketball. In the most recent matchup, the Patriots claimed an 88-43 victory on Nov. 30, 1985 in just the second-ever game played at EagleBank Arena."

 

[GMU79]

Patriots Take On Bridgewater (Va.) Tuesday in Fairfax - George Mason University Athletics

The George Mason University men's basketball team (8-2) wraps up a two-game holiday homestand with a Tuesday night contest vs. Bridgewater (Va.).

gomason.com

"PATRIOT POINTS
• The Patriots are 8-2 to begin the season and are 72nd in the NCAA NET rankings.

• Mason is coming off a 62-54 win over Loyola (Md.) on Saturday. Despite shooting a season-low 25 percent from deep (5-20) and 38.8 percent overall, the Patriots played to their pedigree on the defensive end while limiting the Greyhounds to 31 percent shooting overall (18-58) and 26.1 percent (6-23) from 3pt range.

• The Patriots held Loyola to just 34.3 percent from 2pt range Saturday. Mason is fourth nationally in 2pt FG defense (.411) through 10 games this season.

• Sophomore forward Keyshawn Hall paced the Patriots with his A-10-leading fifth double-double of the season. He notched game highs in points (17) and rebounds (13) against the Greyhounds.

• Senior Darius Maddox added 13 points, a season-best two blocks and went a career-best 7-of-7 from the free throw line. He is averaging a team-best 15.6 points over the last five games while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from deep.

• Junior Jared Billups added 10 points and grabbed a season-best eight rebounds vs. the Greyhounds, including five on the offensive end. He has now scored 10+ points in three games this season.

• The Patriots rank third in the A-10 and 31st nationally in 3pt FG percentage (.384). Mason has shot 40 percent or better from deep in five games in 2023-24.

• Mason ranks second in the A-10 in rebounding margin (+4.3). The Patriots are a perfect 8-0 when winning the battle on the boards this season.

• Mason is 6-0 at home this season and has won 20 of its past 22 games inside EagleBank Arena.

• Two of the Patriots' final three non-conference games will be played in Fairfax. The Green & Gold will look to match the program's Div. I record for non-conference victories (11), set during the 2019-20 campaign.

PORTAL PROWESS
George Mason head coach Tony Skinn inherited just three scholarship players when he took the job in April. He immediately got to work in the portal and brought in a talented group of new student-athletes. All three of the Patriots' top scorers and four of the top six this season are transfer players. Keyshawn Hall (UNLV), Darius Maddox (Virginia Tech), Amari Kelly (UNCW) and Woody Newton (Oklahoma State) combined to average 26.0 points last season at their previous institutions. At Mason, the quartet has combined for 46.7 points/contest.

HISTORY vs. ODAC FOES
George Mason is 19-29 (.396) all time against programs currently in the Div. III Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The Patriots' most common foes are Randolph Macon (3-11), Virginia Wesleyan (8-2) and Roanoke (3-6). The bulk of the matchups came during Mason's NAIA and Division II seasons (pre-1979). In the most recent meeting with an ODAC foe, the Patriots knocked off Shenandoah, 120-84, on Nov. 30, 1991 in Fairfax.

HISTORY vs. BRIDGEWATER (VA.)
Tuesday's game marks the third all-time meeting between George Mason and Bridgewater (Va.) in men's basketball. In the most recent matchup, the Patriots claimed an 88-43 victory on Nov. 30, 1985 in just the second-ever game played at EagleBank Arena."

Ahhhh, the good old NAIA days!
I remember them well!

 

[Mason2006Patriot]

A few things I always wondered when we play these smaller schools:

1. How do the coaching staff get game film on these smaller schools? Smaller schools don't play on ESPN, Fox Sports etc

2. How do they get the information for the scouting reports?

3. How do the coaching staff motivate the players to play these games that are typically seen as "easy 20+ blowouts"?? It's easy to motivate your team if your playing Duke, UNC etc because those are the big prime time teams, but what about motivating your players when your facing a team that is way inferior to you? How do you get your players to take this game seriously?

 

[mkaufman1]

Two things.

1) I find it funny that Mason is 3-11 against Randolph Macon all time. Last time we played them we lost in an exhibition game to a then RMC coached Mike Rhoades.
2) I could have swore we played Shenandoah more recent than 1991. Just did a search and we actually played them in an exhibition game in 2014.

Unless the write up is only doing games that counted.

 

[Pablo]

Final: Mary Washington 69 - Bridgewater 52

 

[JPgmuswim]

Why would we schedule this game at this point in the season? I would think it should be the first exhibition or not at all.

 

[FlPatriot]

Why would we schedule this game at this point in the season? I would think it should be the first exhibition or not at all.

Makes sense to me. TS had no idea how the team was going to jell. If the team was struggling it would be a confidence builder and, if not, a tuneup for conference play.

 

[Verdad]

Isn't this game better than playing another sub 300 team, since it doesn't count against our NET?

Might they also be cheaper than a DI team for a buy game?

I'm amazed by everyone continually acting like scheduling for a team like ours is easy.

 

[mkaufman1]

Cheaper, doesn't count against the NET, glorified practice to fill out the schedule that many other D1 schools are doing.

Downside is its a snoozefest in front of 1500 people, risk of losing if the players don't care enough, bitching and moaning from us.

Can't help but think there are more realistic advantages than disadvantages especially with how scheduling is a challenge nowadays. I have my own thoughts that are well documented on scheduling philosophy and where I'd like to see us schedule but we can save that dead horse for the off-season.

 

[GMUYoda]

Is Kelly playing tonight?

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Three legged eagle. Interesting.

That's not a leg.....

 

[gmubrian]

Hard to pick....
I went with the three legs. More drumsticks to go around.

What is the story behind the 3 legs. Did you ask the AI for that, or did it make a mistake?

 

[GMU79]

What is the story behind the 3 legs. Did you ask the AI for that, or did it make a mistake?

Kinda curious myself.

 

[TweederGMU]

Goodguys 83
Bridge to no Water 60

 

[Pikapppatri8]

What is the story behind the 3 legs. Did you ask the AI for that, or did it make a mistake?

The AI was horny.

 

[daveshac]

Amari Kelly is in street clothes.

Malik Henry is too.

 

[gmulion]

Where is Maddox?

 

[JimP]

I thought Rohland said something about suspensions to start the game, but missed it.

 

[tblack33]

Put the bench in, starters showing almost no effort. Embarrassing.

 

[GMU1983]

Kelly suspended one game. I did not understand the Maddox situation?