Feb. 6, 2008

The George Mason men's basketball team will begin a three-game road trip on Thursday evening when the Patriots head to Drexel to take on the Dragons in a game televised on ESPNU. Tip is slated for 7 p.m. The Patriots enter Thursday's game looking for their seventh win in the past eight games. Mason (16-6, 8-3) is also looking to improve to 4-4 on the road and 3-3 in road Colonial Athletic Association games. Drexel (9-14, 2-9) has lost five straight and eight of nine.

Mason holds an 8-5 lead in the all-time series. The Patriots are just 2-4 at Drexel and they have lost three straight at Daskalakis Athletic Center. Mason's last win there was March 1, 2003. For Mason to snap that streak, the Patriots will most likely need a strong outing from Will Thomas. The senior from Baltimore, Md. is attempting to become just the seventh player in school history to average a double-double on the season. He currently is averaging 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds. He is on pace to finish his career first in school history in games played, games started and minutes played. Thomas entered this week ninth in the nation in field-goal percentage and 20th in rebounds per game.

As a team, the Patriots are 44th in the country in scoring defense, 44th in field-goal percentage, 18th in fewest turnovers per game and 15th in fewest personal fouls per game. Mason leads the CAA in field-goal percentage and is third in scoring offense while standing second in scoring defense and fifth in field-goal percentage defense. Drexel is sixth in the CAA in scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense but 10th in field-goal percentage and 12th in scoring offense. Nationally, out of 341 Division I schools, Drexel is 311th in scoring offense.

Frank Elegar has been Drexel's most consistent player, leading the team in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage. He is scoring 15.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and shooting 57.1 percent from the field. Tramayne Hawthorne is averaging 10.6 points while handing out 3.35 assists per game.

Mason won the first meeting between the teams earlier this season, an 85-38 victory at Patriot Center on November 29. In the 12 games since breaking for finals, Mason is averaging 75.2 points per game, shooting 50.6 percent from the field and four players are averaging better than 11.5 points per game. On the year, Drexel is scoring just 59.6 points per game, and they've matched that total during their current slide.