Who's Playing
George Mason Patriots @ Tulane Green Wave
Current Records: George Mason 9-2, Tulane 8-2
How To Watch
- When: Friday, December 22, 2023 at 2 p.m. ET
- Where: Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse -- New Orleans, Louisiana
- TV: ESPN Plus
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
What to Know
George Mason has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Tulane Green Wave at 2:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse. After both teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one of them is set up to suffer a discouraging change of fortune.
Winning is just a little bit easier when your shooting is a whole 28.7% better than the opposition, a fact George Mason proved on Tuesday. Everything went their way against the Eagles as the Patriots made off with a 84-60 win. That looming 84-60 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for George Mason yet this season.
Tulane has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three matches by 21 points or more this season. They were the clear victor by a 105-81 margin over the Jaguars. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 51-26.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Tulane to victory, but perhaps none more so than Kevin Cross, who dropped a triple-double on 20 points, ten rebounds, and 11 assists. Cross set a new season high mark in blocks with four. Jaylen Forbes was another key contributor, going 6 for 11 from beyond the arc en route to 28 points and 2 assists.
The Patriots pushed their record up to 9-2 with that win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. As for the Green Wave, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-2 record this season.
Friday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: George Mason have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 38.8 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Tulane, though, as they've been averaging only 31.8 rebounds per game. Given George Mason's sizeable advantage in that area, Tulane will need to find a way to close that gap.
George Mason was able to grind out a solid win over Tulane in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, winning 62-56. Will George Mason repeat their success, or does Tulane have a better game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Series History
George Mason won the only game these two teams have played in the last year.
- Dec 17, 2022 - George Mason 62 vs. Tulane 56