Who: George Mason (7-3) at Florida International (3-6).

Where: Pharmed Arena (5,000), Miami, Fla.

When: Friday, December 21, 7:00 p.m.

Tickets: $7.00/Reserved; $5.00/Adults over 55 and Youth under 12.

Coaches: Jim Larranaga (GMU) 191-122/11th season; Sergio Rouco (FIU) 36-60/4th season.

Radio: WRGP (95.3-FM), Panther Pass (Internet video).

Of Note: The FIU Men’s Basketball team hopes to put a three-game losing streak to rest against the pride of the Colonial Athletic Association, George Mason. Over the past decade, the Patriots have been the CAA’s top team in terms of conference wins, overall wins, league winning percentage and overall winning percentage...Mason and FIU have met once previously, on Nov. 27, 2006 in Fairfax, Va., and a 65-39 GMU victory. The Patriots return four starters from that game...George Mason is playing its first game in two weeks after taking a break for finals...After winning their first two games of the season, the Golden Panthers have lost six-of-seven and three straight. FIU is coming off a two-game Sun Belt Conference road trip were it lost at Arkansas-Little Rock (67-75) and Middle Tennessee (63-72). The Golden Panthers were in striking distance in the final minutes of both of those games...Last Tuesday in Murfreesboro, Tenn., junior center Russell Hicks came off the bench and became the first FIU player this season to score 20 points in a game. Hicks, who hit 7-of-14 attempts from the floor, ranks among the top-15 in SBC scoring (13.2 ppg), rebounding (6.3 rpg), field-goal percentage (.649) and blocked shots (1.67)...Hicks will go head-to-head against Mason’s Will Thomas who leads the Patriots in scoring (15.1 ppg), rebounding (10.0 rpg) and shooting (.600). Thomas has had as many as 17 rebounds in a game, twice...Despite its record, behind Hicks and fellow junior Alex Galindo (6.4 rpg), FIU holds a +1.7 rebound margin over opponents this season...Two years ago, the Patriots set a school mark for scoring defense (60.1 ppg) and then toppled that record last year after allowing just 59.1 points per game. This season, Mason has held half of its opponents to 56-points-or-less...The Golden Panthers ring out the old year on the road next weekend at Purdue (Dec. 29) and Kentucky (Dec. 31), in their final two non-conference games of the 2007-08 campaign.

Possible Starters:
George Mason Patriots (7-3)

FIU Golden Panthers (3-6)