What: Men’s basketball (18-11, 8-8 A-10) vs. George Mason (9-19, 4-12 A-10)
When: Wednesday March 4 at 7 p.m.
Where: Patriot Center, Fairfax, Va.
After going 3-9 in a season of struggles away from home, the Colonials will play their final road game of the season Wednesday night at George Mason.
Following a 77-66 loss against first-place Davidson Saturday, GW will face the opposite end of the spectrum in the Patriots who are tied with Fordham for second to last place in the Atlantic 10.
This will be the second meeting this season between the two Revolutionary Rivals, as GW took down George Mason 63-53 earlier this January at the Smith Center. The Colonials will cross the Potomac in search of their first road win since Jan. 22.
The Case for George Mason:
Despite dropping three of their last four, the Patriots may enter the contest against their cross-town foe with some confidence after a 28-point victory at Saint Louis Saturday.
With only four A-10 wins thus far, half of which came against last-place Saint Louis, it’s hard to see George Mason pulling off the win. But if they do, it will be behind freshman center Shevon Thompson who averages a team-high 12.9 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and paced the Patriots with 11 points and 11 boards against GW earlier this season.
Thompson is followed by junior guard Patrick Holloway and sophomore guard Marquise Moore who are averaging 11.5 and 9.0 points per game, respectively.
George Mason was able to shoot 61 percent from the field and went 17-18 from the foul line in its trouncing of Saint Louis. If the Patriots can stay hot and keep that momentum rolling in their final home game, they may pose a threat to the Colonials.
The Case for GW:
While the Colonials have performed poorly on the road this year, GW should be able take down George Mason, a team they’ve already beaten this season, with relative ease in Fairfax.
Junior guard Joe McDonald who had a game-high 20 points in the Colonials’ last game at Davidson, also had 12 against the Patriots in January. Junior guards Patricio Garino and Kethan Savage also finished scoring in double figures that game to combine for 24 points.
GW leads George Mason in virtually every statistical category, both offensively and defensively, but a fast start Wednesday night will be key in dispelling nerves on the road.
With a favorable seed in the A-10 Tournament still on the line, the Colonials still have a lot to play for. If GW can build a solid lead, look for head coach Mike Lonergan to give his bench some extended minutes and give the team necessary momentum heading into the final game of the season on Saturday.
