Box Score (PDF)
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason University men's basketball team (10-6, 2-1) receive a huge lift from its bench to help propel the Patriots to an 86-75 victory over Loyola Chicago (6-9, 0-3) Saturday afternoon in EagleBank Arena.
Mason held a 26-6 advantage in bench points and made a concerted effort to get the ball inside, where the Patriots were +18 (48-30) in points in the paint.
With the victory, the Patriots improved to 9-0 in Fairfax, marking the program's best home start since 2010-11.
"I'm proud of our guys for their fight tonight," head coach
Kim English said. "It was a quick turnaround after our tough loss at Bonnies. They did a really good job of bouncing back and fixing some things from a mindset standpoint that hurt us in Olean. We have great respect for Loyola and their program's NCAA Tournament DNA."
The Patriots improved to 6-1 this season when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor, as the Green & Gold made 51.6 percent of their attempts for the game (32-62). That included a 62.1 percent clip (18-29) in a second half in which the Patriots held a +11 (51-40) scoring average.
Mason also continued its improved ball security during the A-10 season while tying a season low with only eight turnovers. On the glass, the Patriots grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and held a 20-13 edge in second chance points.
Senior
Josh Oduro led George Mason with his sixth double-double of the season. He notched 17 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out two assists in just 23 minutes due to foul trouble.
Graduate
DeVon Cooper added 17 points and five rebounds, while graduate
Victor Bailey Jr. added 14 points (4-6 3pt FG).
Junior forward
Malik Henry played his best game in a Patriot uniform, notching career bests in points (15) and blocks (3) while grabbing five rebounds in a season-high 17 minutes.
Ronald Polite III (12 points) also reached double figures for the Green & Gold.
The Ramblers led 26-19 at the 6:18 mark of the first half, but the Patriots closed the stanza on a 9-2 run to tie it up 35-35 at the half.
An 8-0 spurt early in the second half pushed Mason in front by five (45-40) and the lead extended to seven (52-45) at the 13:57 mark. Loyola moved back within three at 59-56, but a 10-2 surge from the Green & Gold pushed the advantage to 11 (69-58) with 8:43 left. The Ramblers could not move closer than five for the remainder of the game.
George Mason hits the road for a Wednesday contest at Saint Louis. Tip-off between the Patriots and Billikens is set for 8 p.m. (ET). The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Bally Sports Midwest.
