Dec. 18, 2008
The George Mason men's basketball team will return to the court from a nearly two-week break on Friday night when the Patriots host Radford at Patriot Center at 7 p.m. Mason enters the contest at 6-2 and the Patriots won their last time out, at Drexel on Dec. 6, 56-55. Radford, at 3-6, has lost two straight, both at home. The Highlanders lost to Duquesne on Dec. 10, 94-75, and James Madison beat Radford 85-81 on Dec. 14.
The Highlanders opened the season with wins over NAIA Brevard and Division III Bridgewater. They followed that with a two-point road loss at Virginia, a 20-point road-loss at William & Mary and a 2-point overtime loss at Navy. After losing by 20 at home to Gardner-Webb, Radford beat Winthrop, a 2008 NCAA Tournament team, 73-52. The losses to Duquesne and Radford followed.
Radford is outrebounding and outshooting the competition this season but they have turned the ball over nearly 17 times per game. Four players are scoring better than 12.0 points per game led by Kenny Thomas' 15.6. Artsi Parakhouski is averaging 14.6 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. Joey Lynch-Flohr is averaging 13.2 while Martell McDuffy is averaging 12.0. Amir Johnson is at 8.3 points per game and 5.6 assists per contest.
Like, Radford, Mason is outrebounding and outshooting the competition, but the Patriots have done a better job taking care of the ball. The Patriots also have scoring balanced, but with greater depth. Seven different players are averaging 6.4 points per game or better.
John Vaughan leads all scorers with 11.5 points while Darryl Monroe is averaging 10.6 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 59.3 percent from the field. Cam Long is averaging 10.4 points and 2.8 assists and Louis Birdsong is averaging 9.0 points and shooting 59.6 percent from the field. Andre Cornelius, Ryan Pearson and Dre Smith all have scored more than 50 points while appearing in every game.
Vaughan enters the game needing seven points to reach 1,000 for his career, thus becoming the 29th player in school history to reach that mark.
Since the Patriots became a Division I school, they have beaten Radford more often than any other non-CAA school. Mason is 11-3 all-time against Radford. Mason enters the contest with a 598-598 all-time mark and the Patriots are trying to have a career mark better than .500 for the first time since being 1-0 in 1966.
At Friday's game, the first 1,000 kids to enter will receive a free Webkinz Lil' Kinz Lion. Fans will also have a chance to win a four pack of tickets to the Ringling Brothers Circus this spring and there will be a halftime performance by the Jim Moyer Circus Club.
