PITTSBURGH – The George Mason University men's basketball team (23-9) build a strong halftime lead but could not overcome a difficult offensive second half during a 73-67 loss to St. Bonaventure in the A-10 Championship second round Thursday afternoon inside PPG Paints Arena.
The Patriots played excellent defense in the first half and took a 34-24 edge at the break. But GMU shot just 38.5 percent in the second half as the Bonnies rallied from 11 down in the stanza to take the win. SBU closed the game on a 13-2 run over the final 6:24.
George Mason has built an excellent resume for NIT selection this season. The Green & Gold's 23 wins are tied for fifth-most in school history and GMU holds top-50 victories over Saint Louis and VCU, as well as a top-100 triumph over George Washington. The 32-team NIT field will be announced on Sunday night.
Jahari Long led the Patriots with 17 points (4-6 3pt FG) to go with three rebounds and two assists in 37 minutes. Second Team All-A-10 pick
Riley Allenspach added his second double-double in three games (12 pts, 10 reb), while fellow All-A-10 Second Teamer
Kory Mincy chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and two steals.
Turnovers in key moments proved to be the difference in the game, as the Bonnies held a 16-8 edge in points off turnovers and a 12-3 advantage in fast break points.
"I expected better," head coach
Tony Skinn ('06) said. "The message to these guys was that it's very hard to beat a team three times in a season. Defensively in the first half, I thought we were pretty solid. I'm disappointed, frustrated and everything you can think of. The highs and lows of this sport we play – we win at home against one of the better teams in our league and the country. Then we come here and lay an egg in the second half. It's unfortunate."
The teams played to an 11-11 tie before the Patriots used a 6-0 run to go up 17-11. Back-to-back triples from Long extended the lead to nine (26-17) and the Green & Gold took a 10-point edge (34-24) into the break.
The Patriots took their largest lead at 11 (44-33) early in the second half, but a 12-2 run by the Bonnies cut the lead to just one (46-45) with 10:49 to play. GMU pushed it back to five at 55-50 with 6:25 to go, but could manage just one field goal over the final stretch as SBU closed the game on a 13-2 run to move on in the tournament.
