Feb. 19, 2005
Box Score
FAIRFAX, Va. - Junior guard Tony Skinn (Takoma Park, Md.) scored 17 points and junior forward Jai Lewis (Aberdeen, Md.) added 14 to lead George Mason to a 78-66 win over Manhattan in a non-conference ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday contest at the Patriot Center.
The Patriots (16-10) went on a 18-6 run midway through the second half to put away the Jaspers (13-12), who had already rallied once to erase a nine-point deficit and take a brief 47-46 lead with 10:37 left.
With the game tied at 49 with 9:49 on the clock, Lewis started the decisive run with a lay up and Skinn finished it off with a fast-break basket to put George Mason ahead 64-53 with 5:30 left. The Patriots would lead by as many as 15 points, 75-60, with just over a minute remaining in the contest.
Forward C.J. Anderson matched a career-high with 25 points for Manhattan, which lost its sixth straight on the road. Anderson totaled a team-high nine boards.
Junior guard Lamar Butler (Oxon Hill, Md.) made four 3-pointers on his way to 13 points for the Patriots, who won their 10th home game of the season- the seventh straight season George Mason has won 10 or more games at home.
Freshman guard John Vaughan (Lanham, Md.) had 12 points for George Mason, which shot 62 percent from the floor in the second half. Freshman forward Will Thomas (Baltimore, Md.) finished with a game- and career-high 13 rebounds.
Nine George Mason players scored in the contest. Freshman guard Folarin Campbell (Silver Spring, Md.) came off the bench to record six points and five rebounds, while sophomore guard Gabe Norwood (State College, Pa.) finished with four points and five boards in reserve.
Forward Peter Mulligan also had 25 points for the Jaspers, who made 1-of-13 three-pointers (7.7 percent) and were out rebounded 40-31.
Mason shot 47 percent from the floor for the game and 38 percent from beyond the arc. Manhattan connected on 41 percent of its field goals and made 81 percent from the free throw line. The Patriots registered 19 assists on 25 made field goals.
George Mason returns to Colonial Athletic Association action on Wednesday when it visits Drexel at 7 p.m.
Box Score
Manhattan (13-12) 30-46=66
George Mason (16-10) 33-45=78
