Nov. 18, 2010
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CHARLESTON, S.C. - Sophomore Luke Hancock set a new career high with 18 points and the George Mason men's basketball team used a strong second half to run past Charlotte, 78-56, in the opening round of the ESPN Charleston Classic at Carolina First Arena on Thursday night.
Hancock was joined in double figures by junior Ryan Pearson and senior Cam Long, who chipped in 11 and 10 points respectively. Junior Mike Morrison led a Mason effort off the glass with nine rebounds, as the Patriots out-rebounded the 49ers by a 43-30 margin. Jamar Briscoe led all scorers with 20 points for the 49ers.
Mason continued to dominate its opponent in the paint, outscoring Charlotte by a 48-16 differential in that category. The Patriots also committed 10 fewer turnovers, giving the ball up just eight times compared to 18 for the 49ers.
Mason opened the game strong, scoring the first six points and using a 13-4 streak to begin the contest. A 7-3 run by the 49ers cut the Mason lead to 16-11, but an 8-2 Mason run pushed the gap to 24-13, the first time the margin went to double digits.
Charlotte put together a 7-0 run though to move the margin to 28-24 with two minutes remaining in the first half. Long ended the run with a jumper from the left wing and the score would remain at 30-24 as the teams headed to the locker room. Morrison was Mason's leading scorer in the half, contributing seven points while Jamar Briscoe accounted for 12 in the frame.
Mason got baskets from Long and Morrison to open the half, moving it back to a double-digit lead at 34-24. A three-point play by Morrison made the score 38-26 in the Patriots' favor. That would be the largest Mason lead until Long's layup made the score 44-31 with just under 14 minutes left to play. The Patriots pulled even further away, pushing the lead as wide as 26 as they successfully protected their lead from wire to wire.
The Patriots will next face ACC foe North Carolina State on Friday evening at 6 p.m., in a game that will be televised by ESPNU.
