Dec. 1, 2004

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. -- George Mason (3-1, 1-0 CAA) junior guard Lamar Butler (Oxon Hill, Md.) scored a career-high 28 points and hit seven 3-pointers (one shy of tying a Mason record) to lead the Patriots to a 79-61 win over Towson (2-4, 0-1 CAA) Wednesday night in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams.

Junior guard Tony Skinn (Takoma Park, Md.) finished with 12 points, while freshman guard John Vaughan (Lanham, Md.) also tallied 12 for the Patriots.

Leading by nine, 36-27, at halftime, the Patriots started to put the Tigers away early in the second half when Butler started a barrage of George Mason 3-pointers. Butler and Vaughan combined to hit eight 3-pointers during a 25-11 run to push the lead to 61-40 with 10:35 to play. In all, Mason didn't sink a two-point field in the second half until sophomore forward Jesus Urbina's (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) jumper with 9:48 left.

Butler finished 7 of 12 from 3-point range and the Patriots hit a season-high14 total, including 9 for 11 from long range in the second half. Mason's 53.8 percent three-point field goal percentage is its best since connecting for a 52.2 percent clip (12 of 23) at Hartford last season (12/4/03).

Guard Mike Green scored 23 to lead Towson, which got just two points from its bench. Forward Lawrence Hamm scored 13 and guard Cantrell Fletcher had 11.

Each team shot the ball well in stretches in the first half. Butler missed his first four 3-point attempts, but made seven of his last eight heading into the final minutes of the contest. His second 3-pointer with 5:13 left in the first half, put the Patriots ahead by 16. However, Towson rallied to cut it to 36-27 at the intermission, a comeback aided by the second foul called on junior forward Jai Lewis (Aberdeen, Md.) that sent him to the bench.

George Mason had 21 assists, 14 turnovers and 10 steals, while Towson posted 10 assists, 19 turnovers and four steals. Both teams shot above 45 percent for the game. The Patriots scored 36 of their points off turnovers, and the Mason bench out-scored the Towson reserves, 26-2.

George Mason plays Maryland Saturday at 1 p.m. in the first game of the BB&T Classic at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. The Terrapins (3-1) are ranked 12th nationally in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls. Mason will face either George Washington or 11th-ranked Michigan State Sunday at the BB&T Classic.

Box Score
Towson (2-4, 0-1 CAA)	        27-34=61
George Mason (3-1, 1-0 CAA)	36-43=79