Atlantic 10 foes will collide when the George Mason Patriots (10-20) take on the Richmond Spiders (15-14) at Patriot Center. The game gets underway at 6:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5.
The Patriots are hoping to rebound after their 74-52 loss to George Washington on Tuesday. Jaire Grayer finished with 14 points to lead the team. The Spiders, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their bitter 85-84 loss against Dayton on Tuesday. T.J. Cline had a game-high 36 points.
Cline has upped his play over the last five games for the Spiders, averaging 24.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.0 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Patriots won the first game 78-74. Despite the loss, Cline had a standout performance with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and three three-pointers.
The Patriots come into this game 10-20 Straight Up (SU) and 11-15-1 Against The Spread (ATS). George Mason has averaged 73.0 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 66.0. The rebounding edge goes to the Patriots in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 41.7 boards per game.
As for their opponent, the Spiders head into the game with records of 10-14-1 ATS and 15-14 SU. They sport the 18th-ranked scoring offense in the country, averaging 78.2 points per game. The Spiders are one of the top teams in the country at finding the open man with an average of 17.2 assists per game. Don’t expect Richmond to give away the ball much on offense, where its 10.3 turnovers per game ranks 18th in the country.
Following the Patriots’ latest win over Richmond, their SU record against Richmond moves to 4-1 over their most recent meetings. Furthermore, with a 4-1 record, George Mason has the advantage ATS. Neither team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers over the course of their latest five contests.
Predictions: SU Winner – Rich, ATS Winner – Rich
Notes
Richmond averages 77.7 points per game (ranked 61st). George Mason, on the other hand, allows 71.9 points per game (ranked 149th).
In its last game, George Mason lost by a margin of 22 points. Richmond is 5-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. George Mason has a 2-7 record in blowouts.
Ranked 51st, the Richmond Spiders have an offensive rating of 112.4. The George Mason Patriots rank 196th with a defensive rating of just 107.0.
The Richmond Spiders have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 12th in the nation with a FG% of 49.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the George Mason Patriots have an abysmal 1-5 record.
The George Mason Patriots and the Richmond Spiders both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. George Mason is 335th and 317th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Richmond ranks 16th and 12th in these categories.
The Richmond Spiders rank 14th in assists per game, making an average of 17.2. The George Mason Patriots are among the worst in the country with 10.3 assists per game (ranked 341st).
The George Mason Patriots are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 41.7 per game (ranked seventh). The Richmond Spiders are outside the top 100 with 32.0 rebounds per game (ranked 325th).
Richmond ranks 336th in offensive rebounds, while George Mason ranks at 13th in defensive rebounds.
Richmond has forced an average turnover percentage of 18.1% this season. George Mason has an underachieving 3-11 record when its TO% is 18.1% or higher.
