[PREVIEW] George Mason vs. Richmond -- Men's Basketball

Bryon Allen is averaging 15.5 points and 3.1 assists per game this season (photo by John Irwin).

Mason men’s basketball hosts Richmond on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Patriot Center in the Game of the Week. 

Richmond at a glance

Richmond (18-9, 8-4 A-10) is coming off a 62-49 victory over LaSalle on Saturday and have won four of their past five contests.

Mason (9-17, 2-10 A-10) is coming off an 89-85 loss to No. 10 Saint Louis, where the Patriots took the Billikens into overtime for the second time this season.

In a series that dates back to 1979, the Spiders own the all-time series at 34-17. In the last matchup between these two teams in 2012, Sherrod Wright hit a buzzer-beater trey to grab a 67-64 victory for the Patriots in the Governor’s Holiday Hoops Classic.

The Spiders are one of the youngest teams in the country with no seniors and only two juniors that see game action. Richmond lost both seniors for the season when Cedrick Lindsay tore a meniscus in both knees and Derrick Williams left the team for personal reasons.

The Spiders are second in the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense, allowing 65.2 points per game. Richmond is also second in the A-10 and ninth in the country in three-point field goal percentage defense (.290).

Projected starting lineup

2013-2014 Statistics

Kendall Anthony – Guard – 5’8” – 15.7 PPG – 1.5 RPG

Wayne Sparrow – Guard – 6’3” – 3.2 PPG – 2.1 RPG

Trey Davis – Forward – 6’5” – 5.5 PPG – 6.6 RPG

Deion Taylor – Forward – 6’7” – 4.2 PPG – 3.0 RPG

Alonzo Nelson-Ododa – Center – 6’9” – 6.1 PPG – 5.0 RPG

Junior guard Kendall Anthony has been the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week in two of the last five weeks. Anthony leads the A-10 in scoring in conference play, averaging 19.0 points per game. Anthony has scored in double-figures in 19-straight games.

Despite not being in the starting lineup, 6’8” sophomore forward Terry Allen is averaging 19.5 points and nine rebounds over his last two games, while 5’10” freshman guard ShawnDre’ Jones is averaging 15.0 points and a .541 three-point field goal percentage over his last five.

Allen scored a career-high 23 points and nine rebounds in the team’s last matchup against LaSalle on Saturday, and has scored in double-figures in four of the last five games.

Jones has scored in double-figures in five-straight games, including a career-high 25 points against George Washington last Tuesday.

How Mason stacks up

Sherrod Wright scored a career-high 34 points in the team’s last matchup against Saint Louis on Wednesday night. Wright leads the Patriots in scoring, averaging 15.6 points per game.

Bryon Allen is averaging 15.5 points per game and is currently shooting at 39.5 percent from three-point range. Allen leads the Patriots in assists, with 3.1 per game.

Jalen Jenkins is leading the team in rebounds this season, with 7.5 per game.