Box Score (PDF)
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason University men's basketball team (6-1) pushed through foul trouble and executed in the second half en route to an 86-68 win over NJIT on Wednesday night inside EagleBank Arena.
Mason led by one (32-31) at the break, but held a +17 (54-37) edge in the second half after limiting NJIT to just 27.6 percent (8-29) shooting in the stanza.
The victory improves the Patriots to 5-0 at home this season. Mason has won 19 of its past 21 games inside EagleBank Arena.
"It's tough to be upset at an 18-point win, but I thought we did a lot of uncharacteristic things in the first half," head coach Tony Skinn ('06) said. "I stressed to these guys that NJIT is a good, young, talented team. I expected them to give us a fight. We responded in the second half and showed who we are and that propelled us to the win."
Mason starters
Keyshawn Hall (21 minutes) and
Jared Billups (18) each saw limited action due to foul trouble, but Mason's depth proved evident as multiple players stepped up to make an impact.
Senior
Ronald Polite III paced the Green & Gold with season highs in points (18), assists (6) and steals (3). The Temple Hills, Md., product made 7-of-11 shots and 2-of-3 3-point attempts on the night.
Fellow senior
Darius Maddox added 17 points (2-5 FG) and four assists, while graduate forward
Amari Kelly notched his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Woody Newton (9 pts, 8 reb),
Malik Henry (9 pts, 5 reb) and
Baraka Okojie (8 pts, 6 reb) also made significant contributions for the Patriots.
Mason, which entered the game ranked 13
th nationally in 2pt field goal defense, held the Highlanders to a meager 8-of-30 (.267) from inside the arc on the night.
The Patriots also held significant advantages in bench scoring (26-14) and points in the paint (28-16) while shooting a season-best 56.3 percent (9-16) from 3pt range. In the second half, the Green & Gold made a sizzling 19-of-30 shot attempts (.633).
The Patriots now hit the road for a two-game swing. First up, Mason heads to the Glass City for a Saturday (Dec. 2) matchup with Toledo. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
