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| [ PHOTO: ABC 7 WJLA-WASHINGTON, DC ] |
Peter Solari, Editor in Chief Follow @4PeteSakeNY
The George Mason men's basketball team rolled to their fifth straight victory Saturday night, topping George Washington 62-55 in front of 6,833 fans at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA. With the win, Mason improved to 13-8 overall and remain on top of the Atlantic 10 standings with a 7-1 league record.
The game was the first of two matchups between the Patriots and Colonials in the "Revolutionary Rivalry."
If nothing else, this Mason team is consistent. Tell me if you've heard this one before:
The Patriots fall behind early, before making a few runs to get themselves back in the game. They go into halftime locked in a close battle with whoever that night's opponent may be. Mason opens the second half hot and build a lead, then clamp down defensively to earn a hard-fought win.
Sound familiar? Well, it should. And we saw much of the same on Saturday. Here's the story from George Mason University Athletics:
"I told our guys in the locker room, that there's no such thing as a knockout punch," Patriots coach Dave Paulsen said after the game. "You just have to control the stuff you can control – defensive energy, taking care of the ball and getting good shots. I thought we did that and defended at an exceptionally high level. The game ended ugly, but that shouldn't detract from some really good basketball in the second half."
Senior Otis Livingston led the way for Mason, scoring 15 points, while junior Justin Kier recorded his seventh double-double in the past 11 games, dropping 11 points and pulling down 11 boards. Redshirt junior, who has been critical to the team's success thus far, added 10 points and 6 rebounds for the Patriots.
The Colonials were led by Terry Nolan Jr, who scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, as well as Justin Mazzulla and D.J. Williams, who scored 14 points apiece. Javier Langarica added a game-high 12 rebounds.
Once again, the Patriots showed their defensive prowess, limiting GW's shooting to just 37% from the field, on the day, and just 21% from deep.
Also, the Patriots committed just 9 turnovers to the Colonials' 18. Mason has shown drastic improvement in this area throughout the season.
Oh, and did I mention that Mason is on top of the A-10 standings?
Up next, the Patriots will face a formidable test when they hit the road and head to a hostile environment in Richmond, Va, where they'll meet their longtime foe, Virginia Commonwealth at the Siegel Center on Saturday February 2nd. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 PM ET. The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
#GetPatriotic #MasonNation #RevRivalry #A10MBB
The George Mason men's basketball team rolled to their fifth straight victory Saturday night, topping George Washington 62-55 in front of 6,833 fans at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA. With the win, Mason improved to 13-8 overall and remain on top of the Atlantic 10 standings with a 7-1 league record.
The game was the first of two matchups between the Patriots and Colonials in the "Revolutionary Rivalry."
Recap, do you love me? Are you writing?— GMU Giant Killer (@GMUGiantKiller) January 27, 2019
Say you'll never ever leave from beside me
'Cause I want ya, and I need ya
And I'm down for you always
RECAP:https://t.co/mVTsInll3R
If nothing else, this Mason team is consistent. Tell me if you've heard this one before:
The Patriots fall behind early, before making a few runs to get themselves back in the game. They go into halftime locked in a close battle with whoever that night's opponent may be. Mason opens the second half hot and build a lead, then clamp down defensively to earn a hard-fought win.
Sound familiar? Well, it should. And we saw much of the same on Saturday. Here's the story from George Mason University Athletics:
Mason missed their first seven shots and GW took advantage, jumping out to leads of 6-0 and 11-5. The Patriots responded with a 6-0 run to tie it up at 11-11, then built a 22-19 lead after a Kier jumper with 4:32 to go in the opening stanza. Mason extended the lead to four (27-23) with 1:45 left and took a 27-25 lead into the break. The Patriots used an early 9-0 run in the second half, including a momentum-building 3-pointer from freshman Jason Douglas-Stanley, to extend the lead to 10 (40-30) at the 12:08 mark. The run ballooned to 17-3 after two-straight buckets from Kier. That sequence made it 48-33 in favor of the Green & Gold with 8:34 left in the contest. The Green and Gold remained in front by 13 (55-42) with 4:29 left in the game, but at that point, missed free throws by the Patriots allowed the Colonials to mount a comeback. GW cut it to 10 (56-46) at the 3:38 mark and was within six (56-50) with 1:07 to go. GW had a chance to get closer, but Mason picked up a charge on the defensive end and extended the lead back to nine (62-53) with 13 seconds remaining.
"I told our guys in the locker room, that there's no such thing as a knockout punch," Patriots coach Dave Paulsen said after the game. "You just have to control the stuff you can control – defensive energy, taking care of the ball and getting good shots. I thought we did that and defended at an exceptionally high level. The game ended ugly, but that shouldn't detract from some really good basketball in the second half."
Senior Otis Livingston led the way for Mason, scoring 15 points, while junior Justin Kier recorded his seventh double-double in the past 11 games, dropping 11 points and pulling down 11 boards. Redshirt junior, who has been critical to the team's success thus far, added 10 points and 6 rebounds for the Patriots.
The Colonials were led by Terry Nolan Jr, who scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, as well as Justin Mazzulla and D.J. Williams, who scored 14 points apiece. Javier Langarica added a game-high 12 rebounds.
Once again, the Patriots showed their defensive prowess, limiting GW's shooting to just 37% from the field, on the day, and just 21% from deep.
Also, the Patriots committed just 9 turnovers to the Colonials' 18. Mason has shown drastic improvement in this area throughout the season.
Oh, and did I mention that Mason is on top of the A-10 standings?
Updated A-10 Standings:— A10 Talk (@A10Talk) January 27, 2019
George Mason 7-1
Davidson 6-1
VCU 5-2
Duquesne 5-2
Saint Louis 5-2
Dayton 5-2
Rhode Island 4-2
St. Bonaventure 4-3
La Salle 2-4
George Washington 2-5
Saint Joseph's 2-5
Richmond 1-6
Massachusetts 0-6
Fordham 0-7
Up next, the Patriots will face a formidable test when they hit the road and head to a hostile environment in Richmond, Va, where they'll meet their longtime foe, Virginia Commonwealth at the Siegel Center on Saturday February 2nd. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 PM ET. The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
#GetPatriotic #MasonNation #RevRivalry #A10MBB
