Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Divisional Round
George Mason will go on the road for the first time in 10 days when it travels to Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon. The Patriots split a pair of road games last weekend, beating Davidson before losing to George Washington. Rhode Island has lost three of its last four games, falling to UMass and Richmond in its last two games.
George Mason lost four of its first six games this season before winning seven of its next eight games. The Patriots have been struggling with consistency since that stretch, going 2-3 in their last five contests. They were 4-point favorites in their 67-65 win over Davidson last Saturday, and they were 8-point favorites in their 78-75 loss to George Washington on Monday. George Mason did cover the spread in an 86-75 win against Loyola Chicago and in its 63-62 loss to Saint Louis as a 7.5-point underdog. The Patriots are now starting a two-game road trip that concludes with a game at VCU on Wednesday night.
Happy Birthday, Ticket! ????#RockWithUs pic.twitter.com/YSntrwFhNu
— George Mason Men's Basketball (@MasonMBB) January 19, 2023
They have been a strong offensive team this season, ranked No. 36 nationally in effective field goal percentage. George Mason is knocking down 36.4% of its 3-pointers and 53.5% of its 2-pointers. The Patriots have struggled from the free-throw line, knocking down just 64.1% of its attempts. They have also been dealing with turnover issues, ranked No. 286 in that category. Rhode Island does not force many turnovers, but it is No. 47 in field goal percentage. Senior forward Josh Oduro leads George Mason with 14.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Victor Bailey Jr. (12.4), Ronald Polite III (10.8) and DeVon Cooper (10.6) are all in double figures as well. Senior guard Davonte Gaines, who averages 6.6 points and 6.2 rebounds, is currently sidelined due to a wrist injury.