GAME NOTES: Trying to keep a three-game win streak going, the La Salle Explorers hit the road to face the George Mason Patriots in an Atlantic 10 Conference battle at the Patriot Center.

Both teams are kicking off the conference portion of their slates with this clash. La Salle has been victorious in three consecutive contests, with wins over Towson (67-53), Hofstra (83-74) and Penn (84-67) to bump its overall record up to 8-5.

George Mason watched as a three-game win streak of its own came crashing down Wednesday with a 61-43 defeat at the hands of Oklahoma. The Patriots are 5-7 on the season and looking for more signs of life. George Mason is hoping a 4-2 record at home will be enough to push the team over the top.

This is only the second time in history these two teams have met on the floor. The two squads clashed last season at Tom Gola Arena in Philadelphia, where George Mason came away with a tight 59-57 victory. This is La Salle's first trip to George Mason.

La Salle used an intense first half of offense to gain a 47-35 halftime advantage over Penn in the team's latest outing. This battle of two Big 5 Philadelphia-based teams featured a strong La Salle shooting performance, which included a 58.1 percent mark in the opening period that allowed the Explorers to coast through the second frame. Jordan Price scored 18 points to lead the team, though he turned the ball over seven times. Steve Zack (17 points, nine rebounds), Jerrell Wright and Amar Stukes (13 points apiece) and Cleon Roberts (12 points) all had a hand in the victory.

The Explorers have been up and down this season when it comes to trying to keep a consistent scoring foundation. La Salle enters this game averaging 65.5 ppg on 42.9 percent shooting from the floor, led by Price's 18.7 ppg mark. Price, the redshirt sophomore, also leads the team by averaging 3.0 apg. Wright is the only other La Salle player to average a double-digit scoring total this season, coming in at 11.8 ppg. The Explorers are allowing opponents to net just 62.4 ppg this season, so if La Salle can keep up its two-game streak of scoring at least 80 points in a game, the team could run through A-10 play.

Oklahoma didn't do anything sensational on the offensive end of the floor against George Mason in the Patriots' last trip out, but the Sooners watched as the Patriots shot a dismal 29.5 percent from the floor, which included an 0-of-14 mark from 3-point range. Shevon Thompson provided the only real highlight stat line for Mason in the ugly showing, scoring nine points with a team-best 11 rebounds in Norman.

Scoring defense has been a bit of an issue for George Mason this season, as the team heads into Atlantic 10 play allowing opponents to score 69.1 ppg on 41.8 percent shooting. The Patriots themselves haven't been able to keep up with that scoring pace, averaging 66.7 ppg on the other end of the floor headed into this clash. Thompson leads a trio of double-digit scorers for Mason with 12.4 ppg. He's followed up in the category by Patrick Holloway (11.9 ppg) and Marquise Moore (10.8 ppg). Thompson has been stellar this season in what is otherwise a mediocre campaign so far, as the 6-foot-11 junior tallies 11.3 rpg for the double-double average.

If multiple players can get involved offensively for George Mason against the team's A-10 rivals, then the home advantage should be enough to push the Patriots to victory. However, La Salle seems to be finding the right time to get hot, and the Explorers won't want their wave to end in the first game of conference play.