George Mason at Creighton

When: 9:30 p.m. Where: Qwest Center, Omaha. Records: Patriots 18-8, Bluejays 22-6. TV: ESPNU. Radio: WWRC (1260 AM).

LIFE IN THE VALLEY: The Patriots interrupt the frenetic stretch run of the Colonial Athletic Association season for a BracketBusters game against a Creighton team that has won seven straight and is tied for first in the Missouri Valley Conference. George Mason is tied for second in the CAA, a game behind Virginia Commonwealth, and will wrap up the regular season next week against UNC Wilmington and Towson. This is the third meeting in four seasons between George Mason and Creighton; the Bluejays won by 20 in Fairfax in November 2005 and by two at home a year later.

BUMPS IN THE ROAD: George Mason is 13-0 at Patriot Center and has won 15 in a row dating from last season, but is 5-8 on the road with five consecutive losses by a total of 18 points. "As a team, we have played pretty good on the road," Coach Jim Larranaga said. "If you look at the scores, we've been right in it, right until the very bitter end. And sometimes you've got to have one player step up and make a big shot or get a big rebound. On the road, we have not found a way to make that big play."

SOMETHING'S AMISS: Patriots guard Dre Smith, who set a Division I record last season with 10 three-pointers without a miss, has failed on 23 consecutive attempts since making two in the first half at Old Dominion three weeks ago. He is shooting 26 percent from that distance after making 38 percent his first two seasons. The team also is struggling from the free throw line, having converted 53 of 99 the past four games to fall to 65.4 percent overall. Creighton guard Booker Woodfox leads the nation in three-point shooting (50 percent) and is 10th in free throw accuracy (89 percent).

-- Steven Goff

American vs. Holy Cross

When: 2 p.m. Where: Bender Arena. Records: Eagles 18-7, 10-1 Patriot League; Crusaders 14-12, 9-2. Radio: WFED (820 AM, 1500 AM).

AT STAKE: A victory would move the Eagles to the brink of clinching the regular season title and ensuring home-court advantage throughout the league tournament for the second consecutive year. A loss would drop them into a tie with the Crusaders with two games left but, in fact, leave them in second place because Holy Cross will have swept the season series. The Crusaders have won nine of the past 11 meetings and four straight regular season games in Washington.

FLYING HIGH: On Jan. 24 in Worcester, Mass., the Eagles cut a 19-point deficit to two with eight minutes left but lost, 71-62 . Since then, they have won seven straight to forge their best league record since going 11-0 in the East Coast Conference 28 years ago. AU leads the league in scoring defense (58.4 ppg), field goal percentage (46.6) and three-point accuracy (36.4) but is last in free throw shooting (65.4). Eagles guard Garrison Carr is second in scoring (16.8) and first in three-pointers made (79).

ON A ROLL: Eagles guard Derrick Mercer has been largely overshadowed by Carr the past two seasons, but in the previous five games, the 5-foot-9 senior has made 12 of 15 three-pointers, shot 58 percent overall, and averaged 15.4 points and 3.6 assists. Freshman guard R.J. Evans leads the Crusaders with a 13-point average and sophomore guard Andrew Beinert is the league's most accurate three-point shooter (44.7 percent). Holy Cross is 6-1 in its past seven and has won four of five on the road.

-- Steven Goff