Box Score (PDF)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The George Mason University men's basketball team held off top-10 Div. II program Queens University and pulled off a 66-65 victory over the Royals Thanksgiving Night in the Paradise Jam opener for both teams.
 
Queens led by five (65-60) with 3:55 remaining, but from there, the Patriots would hold the Royals scoreless while putting together a series of big defensive stops.
 
On the other end, junior Jordan Miller converted two-straight buckets to cut it to one (65-64) at the 1:22 mark. Then, with under 20 seconds left, senior Javon Greene was fouled and hit two big free throws to seal the win.
 
"I told our guys we found a way to win," head coach Dave Paulsen said. "We've been off for eight months and there's been a lot of uncertainty. That had an impact on our performance. We committed a ton of turnovers and made some poor decisions. There's a lot to teach from and a lot to learn from. But it says a lot about a team with how it handles adversity. We're ready to bounce back tomorrow."
 
Greene paced the Patriots all night while putting together a critical 19-point effort on 5-of-8 shooting. He also converted 8-of-9 free throw attempts and grabbed three rebounds in 30 minutes.
 
Sophomore Josh Oduro chipped in 13 points (6-10 FG), three rebounds and two assists, while Miller added 11 points and four rebounds.
 
Mason shot 46.2 percent (24-52) for the game and made 6-of-16 3-point attempts (.375). Mason held Queens to just 27.3 percent from beyond the arc, but the Royals gave themselves a chance with a strong effort on the glass (+15).
 
Mason committed 18 turnovers on the night, but forced 21 Royals miscues. The Patriots were +11 (31-20) in bench scoring, fueled by Greene's performance and a strong debut from freshman Tyler Kolek.
 
Kolek chipped in eight points and hit two 3-pointers in a solid 23 minutes of work for the Patriots.
 
Mason now has a quick turnaround before playing the second of three contests in the DC Paradise Jam on Friday (Nov. 27). The Patriots will battle mid-major power Belmont in 2 p.m. contest at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.