Box Score (PDF)
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason University men's basketball team is starting to find its stride as the calendar approaches the month of March.
The Patriots won their third-straight Wednesday night in EagleBank Arena, rocketing back from a 13-point halftime deficit to pick up the victory.
Mason (11-8, 7-6) shot just 30.6 percent for the game (23.1 percent in the first half), but put forth a mammoth effort on the boards, including a stellar 23-4 edge in offensive rebounds. So despite the shooting woes, the Patriots were able to take 26 more shots than the Colonials, hold a +9 (13-4) edge in second chance points and grit out the Revolutionary Rivalry victory.
"I thought we defended really well in the second half and we didn't in the first," head coach
Dave Paulsen said. "We had really good looks at the basket in the first half and there was just a lid on it. Sometimes you have those nights where you can't make a shot. At halftime, we said the game had to be about getting stops, making toughness plays and being relentless on the offensive glass. We tried to win every 4-minute period and I loved the way our guys competed."
Four Patriots scored in double figures, led by a pair of double-double machines. Junior
Jordan Miller notched 14 points and grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds while matching a personal best with 10 on the offensive glass.
Reigning A-10 Player of the Week
Josh Oduro added 11 points and 10 rebounds (6 offensive), including a sizzling stretch in the second half in which he scored eight-straight points.
It marked the first time Mason had two student-athletes post double-doubles since
Javon Greene and
AJ Wilson got it done in a November 2019 win over Loyola (Md.).
In addition, freshman
Tyler Kolek, tallied a team-high 16 points (3-7 3pt FG) to go along with five rebounds, four assists and three steals in another well-rounded game for the Rhode Island product. Senior
Javon Greene added 15 points, five rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes of work.
Mason's defense was stellar in the second half while holding the Colonials to just a 30.4 percent clip (.304). The Patriots limited GW's dynamic duo of James Bishop (15 pts, 4-12 FG) and Jamison Battle (11 pts) well below their averages for the year.
The teams played to an early 9-9 tie, but from there, GW went on a 12-0 run to build a 21-9 edge at the 8:33 mark of the first half. The Colonials extended the advantage to 14 (25-11), but Mason got it back to 10 (28-18) after a lay-up from
Tyler Kolek. GW took a 13-point lead (36-23) into the break.
The Patriots came out in the second half with a purpose, opening with a 12-3 run to pull within four (39-35) at the 13:56 mark.
GW led by five (48-43) with 9:14 to go, but Oduro's eight-point surge from there helped Mason pull in front by three (53-50) with 4:53 remaining. GW retook the lead (56-55) with 2:30 to go but Mason would allow just one Colonials field goal from there.
A big bucket from Miller, followed by a Greene steal and score, put Mason up 59-56 with 1:07 left and the Patriots would make their free throws to put the game away.
The Patriots now wrap up the regular season with a Saturday afternoon contest vs. La Salle inside EagleBank Arena. The 4:30 p.m. game will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network. The game also will serve as Senior Day for Mason's six senior student-athletes.
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