FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason took its final lead with 12:04 left to play, but St. Bonaventure used a 14-3 run over the next three minutes to pull away from the Patriots that led to an 85-73 decision Saturday night in the Patriot Center as part of Homecoming for George Mason.
Mason's Bryon Allen led all scorers with 26 points, while fellow classmate Sherrod Wright contributed 20 to the effort. Jalen Jenkins went 7-for-8 from the free throw line as part of Mason's 19-of-22 overall effort, while SBU shot 88.9 percent from the line, going 32-for-36.
Matthew Wright paced the Bonnies' offense with 24 points on the night fueled by a 12-for-13 free throw effort. Wright was one of four Bonnies to finish in double-figure scoring numbers as SBU also narrowly won the rebounding battle, 32-30. Both squads were nearly equal from the floor as SBU shot 47.1 percent (24-51) and Mason was 46.2 percent (24-52).
Both teams got off to a shaky start as the squads were a combined 2-for-9 from the floor through the first media timeout. The conference foes worked through six tied scores and five lead changes in the first half as Mason held its largest lead of the contest at three points on several occasions. SBU closed the half with a 7-0 run to lead 33-29 at the halftime break.
Mason came out of the break and tied the score with less than two minutes expired. SBU would reopen a five-point lead following a triple from Wright before Allen and Jenkins combined for a 7-0 Patriot spurt to regain the lead, 46-44, with 12:04 to play. Youssou Ndoye tied the game for the final time with a jumper at 11:50 to spark a larger 14-3 SBU run to pull away 58-49 with 8:17 on the clock. SBU would open a double-digit lead on a pair of free throws from Andell Cumberbatch as Allen would cut the score back to single digits for the final time with a bucket at 5:29. The Bonnies would lead by as many as 15 over the final five minutes.
Mason continues this three-game homestand on Wednesday, February 19 welcoming Saint Louis at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on NBCSN.
