FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (21-3, 9-2) locked in defensively in the second half to surge past Saint Joseph's (15-9, 7-4), 60-52, on Saturday in EagleBank Arena.
Before 7,335 fans on Homecoming Saturday, the Patriots held the Hawks to just 29 percent in the second half and only one made field goal over the final 6:23 of action.
The victory moves the Patriots to 9-2 in league play and gives George Mason a crucial two-game lead over the Hawks in the quest for an Atlantic 10 Tournament double bye.
"Games like this are a big reason why I'm blessed and fortunate to be a George Mason alum," head coach
Tony Skinn ('06) said. "I thought this crowd tonight was electric. They gave us life. I told our guys these are the type of games they'll remember for the rest of their lives. The guys who came in today that don't typically play, they came in and gave us life. That was the difference maker in the game. I'm glad we took care of business tonight."
Jahari Long led the Green & Gold with a game-high 20 points (7-14 FG, 2-3 3pt, 4-4 FT) to go with three assists in 36 minutes. It marked his fifth straight game in double figures and seventh 10+ point effort in his past eight games.
Riley Allenspach added 13 points (6-9 FG) and seven rebounds, while
Dola Adebayo chipped in eight points, four rebounds and was a team-best +15 on the floor. Freshman
Devin Booker also made some big-time defensive plays in the second stanza to help the Patriots claim the victory.
Despite giving up a season-high 20 offensive rebounds, the Patriots cut their teeth with significant advantages in points in the paint (32-20) and bench points (20-3) in the win.
The two teams played to a 29-29 tie at the half, but the Hawks scored seven of the first nine points out of the break to go up 36-31. The Hawks got it to 43-37 with 13:18 remaining in the game, but from there, George Mason stormed back with a 13-3 run to take a 50-46 edge with 8:06 to go. The Hawks cut it to one at 50-49, but four-straight by the Patriots gave FMU a 54-49 edge that the team would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
Next up, George Mason begins a two-game road swing with a Tuesday contest at Richmond. Tip-off between the Patriots and Spiders is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Monumental Sports Network and ESPN+.
