March 19, 2004

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - Two days after going 0-for-8, sophomore guard Lamar Butler (Oxon Hill, MD/Oxon Hill) scored 19 points and drilled the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:24 to play to give George Mason a 66-60 Patriot Center victory over Austin Peay in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

Sophomore forward Jai Lewis (Aberdeen, MD/MCI) added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Patriots, who have won back-to-back postseason games for the first time in school history.

George Mason's 23rd victory, already a school-best for a single season, also is a best for head coach Jim Larranaga, whose previous top season was 22-10 in his last year at Bowling Green in 1996-97. The Patriots' 14th win (14-1) at Patriot Center is also already a school-best for a single season, besting the old mark of 12 set in 1999-2000.

Adrian Henning had 20 points and seven rebounds to lead Austin Peay (22-10). Guard Anthony Davis posted 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. George Mason's opening round victory over Tennessee on Wednesday was its first postseason win in 18 years, while the Governors ended a drought of 17 years by beating Belmont on the same night. Austin Peay finished 0-8 in nonconference road games this season.

Butler missed all eight of his shots - including six 3-pointers - against the Volunteers, but he was 6-for-13 from the field and made 5-of-12 3-pointers against the Governors. His fifth 3-pointer broke a 57-57 tie with 1:24 remaining. He and teammate, sophomore guard Tony Skinn (Takoma Park, MD/Hagerstown CC), combined to make six free throws in the final minute to seal the victory. Patriot junior forward Kevin Mickens (Baltimore, MD/ACM) and Skinn both finished with eight points.

George Mason jumped to leads of 8-0 and 18-7, but the Patriots made only one field goal in the final 10 minutes of the first half and finished tied with the Governors at 29 at the break.

Henning was the only Governors player to score in the game's first 8? minutes. He was 5-for-6 in the first half and had 11 of Austin Peay's 29 points at intermission.

George Mason shot 50.0 percent in the second half and finished 41.8 percent from the floor. APSU was 45.1 percent overall. Mason kept the Governors off balance by forcing 19 turnovers and committing 14. The Patriots were 14-for-21 from the charity stripe compared to only 9-for-12 for Austin Peay.

APSU led by as many as five points, 36-31, in the first 10 minutes of the second period. However, trailing 44-41 with 10:21 left, George Mason went on a 12-3 run to stake a 53-47 advantage at the 7:42 mark. The Governors would eventually tie on two occasions, the last at 57-all with 1:54 left before Butler's tiebreaking 3-pointer.

George Mason continues its NIT postseason run on the road Tuesday when the Patriots visit Oregon for their second round tilt.

Box Score
Austin Peay (22-10) - 29-31=60
George Mason (23-9) - 29-37=66