– stock.adobe.com)
A late 10-0 George Mason run finally gave the Patriots some breathing room on the way to a 74-64 win over Fordham in Fairfax on Wednesday.
Whew.
Mason (22-6, 13-2 A-10, NET: 65) keeps pace with VCU atop the A-10 standings with the win.
It wasn’t easy.
Fordham (11-17, 3-12 A-10) hung around forever, drawing square at 55-55 on a pair of Jackie Johnson free throws with 5:41 to go.
The key for Mason down the stretch was its work on the defensive end.
Fordham went more than six minutes without a make from the floor as the Patriots took control, as Mason, on its end, made seven of its last eight in the final 5:18.
“That was an exhausting game,” Mason coach Tony Skinn said. “Credit to Fordham, they junked things up and made it a game. I would like us to play better and have better connectivity in certain moments. But a win is a win – they’re hard to come by in conference play. We’re 13-2.”
Senior Jalen Haynes tied his George Mason career-best with 25 points in the game (8-of-20 FG, 9-of-11 FT) to go with seven rebounds in just 24 minutes.
Senior Darius Maddox added 14 point, five rebounds and two steals, while junior Brayden O’Connor notched 12 points and dished out a team-best four assists.
Senior K.D. Johnson chipped in 10 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists.
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Chris Graham
