The George Mason Patriots (10-18) will close out the regular season on the road when they clash against the La Salle Explorers (6-20) at Tom Gola Arena. Action gets underway at 2:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 27.
The Explorers are hoping to rebound after their 56-53 loss to Fordham on Wednesday. Jordan Price had a good game for La Salle, contributing 13 points, three blocks, and three assists. The Patriots, meanwhile, are coming off a 76-69 win over VCU on Wednesday. Jalen Jenkins played well, accounting for 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
Half-court execution will be at a premium as La Salle ranks 317th in the nation in possessions per game (65.8 possessions per game), while George Mason is 271st (67.2).
The Explorers come into this game 6-20 Straight Up (SU) and 7-15-1 Against The Spread (ATS). La Salle has averaged 68.9 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 62.8.
In the other locker room, George Mason has a SU record of 10-18 and an ATS record of 11-13-1. Offensively, the Patriots have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 66.4 points per game after averaging only 58.6 during that stretch. George Mason is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Patriots average 41.5 rebounds per game, making them the 10th-best team in the country for that category.
The conference foes will be facing off in their first head-to-head contest of the season. When they last met the Patriots were winners, moving their SU record against La Salle to 2-0. Additionally, George Mason leads the matchup ATS with a record of 2-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – GMason, ATS Winner – GMason
Notes
“La Salle is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games “.
“La Salle is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games “.
“La Salle is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“La Salle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of La Salle’s last 8 games at home”.
The La Salle Explorers and George Mason Patriots both hold losing records against teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference. La Salle sits at 2-13 in these matchups and George Mason has a 4-11 record.
La Salle has an average field goal percentage of 40.4%. George Mason is an abysmal 1-16 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The La Salle Explorers rank lower for their field goal percentage (321st) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (263rd), but the George Mason Patriots have a better FG% ranking (315th) than eFG% ranking (332nd).
Ranked 10th in the nation, George Mason averages 41.5 rebounds per game. La Salle ranks lower at 349th with 29.6 RPG.
The George Mason Patriots rank 52nd in offensive rebounds. The La Salle Explorers rank 346th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
La Salle has forced an average turnover percentage of 19.8% this season. George Mason has a poor 3-7 record when its TO% is 19.8% or higher.
