Box Score (PDF)

Photo Credit: Ibrahim Ahmad

NORFOLK, Va. – The George Mason University men's basketball team withstood a hot-shooting Old Dominion side and had a chance to win at the end, but the Monarchs made key plays down the stretch to escape with a 78-77 win Wednesday afternoon at Chartway Arena.
 
Mason led 77-74 with 20 seconds left, but ODU hit a pair of free throws with 11 seconds to go. After the Patriots missed the front end of a one-and-one situation with nine seconds left, ODU's Chaunce Jenkins hit a runner at the two second mark and Mason's last second attempt was no good.
 
"This is a tough loss for our group on the road against a team we know is tough," head coach Kim English said. "ODU really stepped up today and made shots. 63 percent field goal defense for us in the second half isn't going to cut it. We can't lick our wounds. We have to get back on the bus to Fairfax and turn around for a very formidable Coppin State team on Friday."
 
ODU, which entered the game under 33 percent from 3 for the year, made 9-of-19 attempts (.474) against the Patriots. Tyreek Scott-Grayson, who entered the game 7-of-39 (.179) from 3 for the year, made 6-of-11 attempts Wednesday and finished with a game-high 30 points.
 
Mason shot 54.7 percent (29-53) for the game and made 11 triples on 24 tries (.440). But in the deciding second half, ODU shot 63 percent overall and made the plays necessary to claim victory.
 
Graduate guard Victor Bailey Jr. continued his strong play of late for Mason with a team-high 23 points (8-12 FG) while making 5-of-8 3-pointers.
 
Junior point guard Ronald Polite III added his first career double-double with 16 points (6-10 FG) and a career-best 10 assists while committing just one turnover. It marked the first 10+ assist effort by a Patriot since Xavier Johnson dished out 10 on Feb. 5 last season vs. La Salle.
 
Senior Davonte Gaines also chipped in a season-best 16 points (5-10 FG) and grabbed seven rebounds in 28 minutes. He tied a career best with four 3-pointers made on eight shots (.500).

Graduate forward Ginika Ojiako also tied a season best with 13 points (6-8 FG) and grabbed five rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
 
The Patriots made five of their first six 3-pointers to jump out to an early 19-7 advantage. ODU used a 9-0 run to take the lead at 32-30, but Mason answered back to claim a 34-33 edge at the half.
 
Mason withstood a hot streak from the Monarchs early in the second stanza, as ODU hit four of their first triples to build a 49-44 lead at the 15:39 mark. The Patriots utilized a 10-1 spurt to go back up 54-50 with 12:30 to go, but ODU used another run, this time 13-2, to take its largest lead of the game (63-56).
 
Mason stormed back to tie the game at 69-69 on a 3-pointer from Polite, then went ahead (75-73) on a Polite lay-in with 44 seconds to go.
 
The Patriots wrap up their non-conference schedule with a Friday afternoon home contest against Coppin State. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.