George Mason moves to 2-0 with 76-65 win over Longwood

George Mason fought off a feisty Longwood squad Friday night en route to a 76-65 victory before 5,113 fans inside EagleBank Arena.

Mason led by as many as 20 (32-12) in the first half, but the Lancers started hitting their 3-pointers in the second frame and pulled within three at 46-43 and 51-48. That’s as close as Longwood would get, as the Green & Gold used an 8-0 run from there to make it 59-48, and the Lancers could not get closer than eight for the remainder of the game.

The Patriots are now 2-0 to start the season for the first time since 2013-14.

“I thought this was a great victory for our guys,” head coach Dave Paulsen said. “I thought our guys showed great resilience with no panic in the second half. They didn’t get rattled, took care of the ball and took good shots. It’s the second straight game that when the game got tight, our crowd really energized us. We’re very appreciative of that.”

Mason harnessed the Lancers’ potent perimeter attack in the first half, jumping out to a 15-1 lead on the strength of outstanding defensive possessions. Overall, the Patriots held the Lancers to just 25 percent shooting in that stanza and a 3-of-15 mark from deep.

Longwood hit seven of its first eight shots in the second half to get back in the game after trailing 33-22 at the break. But Mason matched the Lancers’ strong offensive showing en route to a half in which the Patriots shot 64 percent. It marked the best field goal percentage in a half by the Patriots since a 66.7 percent effort in the second half of a win over William & Mary on Dec. 1, 2018.

Sophomore point guard Jamal Hartwell II provided a huge boost in the first half while scoring of his career-best 19 points in the frame. He finished 6-of-10 from the floor, 2-of-4 from 3-point range and 5-of-5 from the line.

Junior Javon Greene took the baton in the second half after an 0-of-3 effort in the first. He exploded, hitting four 3-pointers in the deciding stanza and finished with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes.

Redshirt-junior AJ Wilson blocked an impressive five shots for the second-straight game, while freshman forward Josh Oduro looked composed and effortless around the basket en route to a 10-point, 4-rebound, 2-block effort.

Mason shot 54.7 percent overall for the game and limited the Lancers to 37.3 percent. The Patriots were +9 (41-32) on the glass and held a 38-28 edge in points in the paint.

The Patriots are back in EagleBank Arena Wednesday (Nov. 13) when Mason hosts Long Island University at 7 p.m.