– stock.adobe.com)
George Mason held off a late Davidson run to close out a 57-55 victory on Saturday.
The Patriots (16-8, 5-6 A-10) led 54-47 with 2:04 left, then withstood a furious late rally by the Wildcats (13-10, 3-7 A-10) to pick up their fourth road win of the season.
Mason got 26 bench points from its reserves and enjoyed a 25-point performance from Keyshawn Hall, who scored 23 of those points in the second half.
“That game was exactly what a total team effort is all about,” head coach Tony Skinn said. “With a starter who’s the heart and soul of your team out, bench guys stepped up and earned hard hat awards. We just found a way in the second half. We’ve learned a lot from the tough losses we’ve been through. Tonight, we were able to capitalize in end of game situations and get the win.”
The Patriots’ trademark defense returned with a vengeance Saturday, as the Green & Gold held the Wildcats to 34.6 percent (18-of-52) for the game and a 25.9 percent (7-of-27) mark from three-point range.
Hall’s 25 included a 3-of-5 clip from beyond the arc and a 10-of-11 tally from the free throw line. It marked the second-straight 10+ free-throw contest from the Cleveland, Ohio, product, who ranks fourth in the A-10 in scoring in league games.
“Down the stretch, I had to get the ball in Keyshawn’s hands,” Skinn said. “I thought they had a hard time guarding him and keeping him from getting downhill. He had a big offensive rebound that was the play of the game. He led us to this big road win.”
Graduate guard Tre’ Wood added a season-best 12 points (5-of-7 FG) and grabbed four rebounds, while freshman Austin Ball (3-of-5 FG, 2-of-3 3FG) matched his career best with eight points in 19 minutes on the floor.
Senior forward Malik Henry also provided a big boost with six points (3-of-4 FG) and eight rebounds in 19 minutes.
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Chris Graham
