Rams set for rematch with the Patriots

Photo courtesy of Rhode Island Athletics

The George Mason Patriots are the best men’s basketball team in the Atlantic 10, currently leading the pack with a record of 9-1. The Rhode Island Rams are struggling as of late, dropping tough games in their last three games away from the Ryan Center.

In a majority of circumstances George Mason would be a dramatic favorite in the upcoming clash on Saturday afternoon – but the one loss the Patriots have suffered came against the Rams on Jan. 4.

Rhode Island hosted the Patriots in their second game of conference play, and overcame a nine-point deficit at half to set up senior guard Sebastain Thomas to sink the game winning shot (again) with under a second left on the clock. The Rams won the contest 62-59.

It is always tough to beat a team twice, especially the best team in the conference. However, the following are the keys to the game between Rhode Island and George Mason – a matchup that came down to the final shot last time out.

Rhode Island Key Player: Sebastian Thomas

The hero from the last matchup with George Mason will likely play the largest role this time around as well. As of late, most notably last game, the Rams have started dramatically slow. Amplified by their road struggles, Rhode Island’s achilles heel all season long has become more and more apparent.

Sebastian Thomas can play the largest role in snapping the Rams out of the funk. With his upbeat pace and playmaking skills, if the Rams can run their early offense through Thomas, they can likely stick with the league leaders throughout the ballgame.

George Mason Key Player: Darius Maddox

A scorer of double-digit points in 13 of the last 15 games, senior guard Darius Maddox has been the nucleus of the Patriot offense as of late. Maddox led George Mason with 14 points earlier this year at the Ryan Center, and he will likely try to match that output tomorrow afternoon.

Maddox hitting shots early could place Rhode Island in a deeper hole, which could make a comeback near impossible with the coveted defense that makes George Mason great.

Rhode Island Key to the Game: Take What They Give You

George Mason possesses the best defense in the A-10, allowing their opponents to just 61.6 points per game this season. That rank also doubles as eighth in the entire country, making high-quality scoring windows hard to come by.

The way to combat this, is not force anything and take what the Patriots give you. Even the best defense in the world cannot cover the entire floor, so ball movement and team chemistry will be pivotal. If they can find open windows and knock down shots consistently, it can certainly be a close ballgame down the stretch.

George Mason Key to the Game: Full-Court Press

Rhode Island’s offense has been exposed, embarrassed and picked apart by the full court press this season. Most notably, Rhody coughed up the ball 27 times against VCU on Jan. 21, heavily contributed by the press along the baseline.

With Rhode Island’s early game struggles, pressing early and pressing hard can cause frustration among an already frustrated team – opening up a wide avenue of success for the Patriots.

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Rhode Island and George Mason square off in a buzzer-beater rematch tomorrow at 4 p.m. The game can be streamed on ESPN+, with a radio broadcast available on the Varsity Network.