PHILADELPHIA – The George Mason University men's basketball team (12-2, 1-0) limited La Salle (9-5, 0-1) to just 19 second half points in a gritty 77-62 win over the Explorers Wednesday night in Philly.
The Explorers hit 8-of-15 3-pointers (.533) and led by six (43-37) at the break. But the Patriots held La Salle scoreless for more than seven minutes in the second stanza and used a lengthy 31-6 run over a 15-min stretch to extend their lead to as many as 18 (76-58) late in the contest.
The win improves Mason to 12-2 for the first time since the 1983-84 season.
"We didn't have the toughness we needed in the first 20 minutes," head coach Tony Skinn ('06) said. "Our guys talked at halftime and over those first few second half possessions, they really set the tone. Once they smelled it, they just got better possession after possession. From a defensive effort, those first few minutes really fueled us and gave us the cushion we needed to win the game."
Sophomore guard
Keyshawn Hall was spectacular in his A-10 debut while tallying his league-leading eighth double-double of the season. The Cleveland, Ohio, product poured in 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out three assists in a full 40 minutes of work.
Senior guard
Darius Maddox added 15 points on an efficient 6-of-10 shooting effort while grabbing a season-best seven rebounds. He also made 3-of-4 3-point attempts.
Graduate forward
Amari Kelly added 12 points, six rebounds and three assists, while junior guard
Jared Billups chipped in seven points and eight rebounds. Senior guard
Ronald Polite III dished out a team-high four assists.
The Patriots held the Explorers to a paltry 21.4 percent (6-28) in the second half and a made a sizzling 57.7 percent (15-26) of their attempts in the period. Mason shot 52.7 percent overall for the game and held a sizable +20 (34-14) edge in points in the paint.
Mason held an early 16-15 edge, but an 8-0 run by the Explorers gave La Salle a 23-16 advantage at the 10:53 mark of the first half. La Salle extended it to nine (30-21) and took a six-point edge (43-37) into the break.
La Salle moved back up nine (46-37) early in the second half, but at that point, the Patriots locked in on defense. The Green & Gold held the Explorers scoreless for more than seven minutes and took advantage on the other end, rattling off a 13-0 run to build a 50-46 lead with 12:42 to play. With Mason up 56-52, the Patriots exploded for 12-straight points, including back-to-back triples from Maddox, to take a 68-52 advantage with 4:11 to play.
George Mason hosts Saint Louis on Saturday (January 6) inside EagleBank Arena. Tip-off between the Patriots and Billikens is set for 2 p.m. The contest will be broadcast nationally on USA Network.
