GAME NOTES: Seeking an end to a three-game skid, the Richmond Spiders will play host to the George Mason Patriots in an Atlantic 10 Conference clash at the Robins Center on Thursday.

Richmond boasts a 7-7 record on the year, but the Spiders have lost three in a row immediately after taking four consecutive victories. The Spiders dropped contests to Wake Forest (65-63), Northeastern (58-57) and Davidson (81-67), which opened up conference play for the Spiders.

George Mason, on the other hand, is trending in the opposite direction. The Patriots have won four of their last five games, with a 61-43 loss to the Big 12's Oklahoma in the mix. George Mason is coming off a 70-62 victory over La Salle in conference play, and owns a 5-2 mark at home this season.

George Mason has met Richmond on the basketball court more than any other Atlantic 10 opponent. The Spiders lead the all-time series over the Patriots, 33-18. The two sides only met once last season, which saw the Patriots come away with a 69-60 victory.

The Patriots were on fire Saturday against La Salle, netting 57.5 percent of their shots from the floor and making 20-of-29 from the free-throw line. The Explorers owned a three-point lead at halftime, but George Mason came storming back in the second frame behind a 66.7 shooting percentage. Jalen Jenkins, Shevon Thompson, Isaiah Jackson and Patrick Holloway all scored 13 points in the win, while Thompson added a team-best seven rebounds. Corey Edwards dished out a team-best seven assists and recorded three steals for George Mason.

It's been a bumpy ride so far for the Patriots, who are scoring 66.9 ppg on 43 percent shooting from the floor. But the team also gives up 68.5 ppg to opponents, which is in the bottom portion of the Atlantic 10 rankings. The team has had to rely heavily on Thompson and Holloway to generate offense, as the two players top the squad in scoring with 12.5 ppg and 12.0 ppg, respectively. Marquise Moore rounds out a trio of double-digit scorers for the Patriots at 10.2 ppg this season. Thompson has dominated opponents underneath the glass, owning a team-best and second-in-conference 10.9 rpg average.

Richmond had a hard time containing a top-notch Davidson offense on Saturday, as the Spiders allowed 81 points on 52.9 percent shooting to the Wildcats. Kendall Anthony scored 15 points and dished out five assists to lead the Spiders in both categories, while Terry Allen contributed 14 points and a team-high nine boards in the loss. TJ Cline chipped in with 13 points on 6- of-11 shooting in the team's third straight defeat.

Richmond's scoring offense (61.8 ppg on 45.6 percent shooting) ranks near the bottom of the Atlantic 10 Conference, so it's a good thing the team's scoring defense (59.8 ppg allowed) is up near the top of the A-10. Anthony leads the Spiders with a 15.5 ppg mark, and has embraced the role of the team's go-to scorer. Allen (10.7 ppg) and Cline (10.0 ppg) also contribute double-digit scoring totals for the Spiders this season, while Allen's 5.6 rpg leads the team in the category. Richmond, at 6-2 in the Robins Center this season, should be excited about playing three of its next four games at home.

The home advantage certainly helps the Spiders out, and losses to Wake Forest and Northeastern by a combined three points could have gone either way. George Mason needs another effort like it had against La Salle to go to Richmond and steal a win.