George Mason led by 11 points in the second half, but foul trouble with star junior Josh Oduro and some offensive struggles from the floor allowed Fordham to come back and claim victory, 54-49, on Thursday afternoon inside Capital One Arena.
Oduro, the first All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection in program history, tallied a team-best 11 points (5-9 FG) to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocks. It marked his sixth double-double of the season.
After going ahead 33-22 at the 14:13 mark of the second half, Mason led 37-30 with 10:53 remaining. But on the next possession, Oduro picked up an offensive foul. He was then called for a defensive foul on the ensuing possession, sending the Gainesville, Va., product to the bench.
Fordham proceeded to rip off a 10-0 run to grab a 39-37 edge with 7:34 to go. Mason retook the lead at 46-44, but with 32 seconds left, the Rams’ Chuba Ohams converted a lay-in to put Fordham up 52-49. Mason could not score on its final two possessions and the Rams hung on to take the win.
“This is as disappointing a loss as we’ve had this season and an embarrassing ending, but it’s fitting,” head coach Kim English said. “You don’t often get what you deserve in life, you get what you earn. Too many times this season, we haven’t had the right habits and the right toughness in moments to consistently earn wins. You are what your record says you are. It’s something that our guys need to feel – the anguish, the embarrassment. We will. We’ll learn from it.”
Sophomore guard Ronald Polite III added 10 points and two assists in 18 minutes for Mason, while graduate student DeVon Cooper added nine points and made 2-of-6 3-pointers. He finishes the season with 79 triples, which ranks fifth most in Mason single season history.
Junior guard Xavier Johnson tallied eight points and dished out three assists to go along with a game-high three steals.
Graduate student D’Shawn Schwartz added seven points and five rebounds in his final collegiate game. He finishes his career with 1492 career points and 232 made 3-pointers. His 76 3-pointers this season rank seventh most in program annals.
Mason limited Fordham to just 23.3 percent shooting in the second half. But the Rams shot a much-improved 42.3 percent in the second half. The Patriots struggled from deep, making 1 of their first 13 3-point attempts. The Patriots improved offensively from there, but struggled on the glass, where the Rams held a +14 (47-33) edge.
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