Nov 21, 2003

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason senior guard Mark Davis (Springfield, VA/R.E. Lee/Palm Beach CC) tied for game-high honors with 22 points, leading five Patriot men's basketball players in double figures en route to a 95-82 victory over visiting Morehead State Friday evening at the Patriot Center. The contest marked the season opener for both teams, while Mason's 95-point outburst was the most for the team since a 99-79 victory at home over Virginia Commonwealth on Feb. 14, 2001.

Senior guard Raoul Heinen (Bunschoten, Holland) poured in a career-best 20 points on 8-for-9 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Sophomore guard Lamar Butler (Oxon Hill, MD/Oxon Hill) added 18 on 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc.

Junior guard Terry Reynolds (Nashville, TN/Toledo) posted his first career double-double with 13 points and a career-best 14 assists, falling one assist shy of tying the school and Patriot Center record for assists in a game. Sophomore forward Jai Lewis (Aberdeen, MD/Maine Central Inst.) notched his second career double-double with 15 points and 10 boards.

Forward Ricky Minard led the Eagles with 22 points. Guards Chez Marks and Kyle Hankins netted 18 and 15 respectively.

The Patriots trailed by four points (6-2) early in the contest, but reeled off six 3-point field goals - four of which came from Butler - to open up a 20-9 advantage with 13:45 left in the half. Mason would extend the lead to 20 on two occasions, but the Eagles rallied on a 12-2 run in the final three minutes of the frame to fall within 10, 46-36 at halftime. In the second stanza, Morehead State would eventually cut the deficit under 10 points, 63-54, with 13:04 left in the game, but Mason continued to maintain a solid second half advantage, resulting in the victory.

"The atmosphere at the Patriot Center was great," said head coach Jim Larranaga. "This was my first home game to begin the season since I've been the coach at Mason, and I thought the crowd had a lot of energy and enthusiasm. All of the faculty and staff in attendance as well as the fans and student body and alumni really got into the game. We need them at every home game so we hope this type of atmosphere continues."

"Basketball is a game of runs," said Reynolds. "We had ours; they had theirs. Coach [Larranaga] said to just keep playing hard and to continue to battle. We knew we would be ready for this game because every practice is already like a game. We have so much depth and my teammates work hard everyday, practice is like a game situation."

"They [Morehead State] fought hard for 40 minutes," said Butler. "You've got to take your hats off to them. They never gave up and stayed in the game until the end."

Morehead State returns home to face Asbury College at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

George Mason will take a trip around the beltway to face Maryland, ranked 25th nationally in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, Tuesday at 8 p.m. The Patriots are 0-5 in the all-time series against the Terrapins, but Mason has lost the last two meetings by a combined six points (83-80, in Boise, ID in the 2000-01 NCAA Tournament; 69-66, in College Park in 1999-2000). Larranaga will also be seeking his 300th career victory in 20 seasons as a head coach.