George Mason trailed by 12 with two minutes left in the first half, but got back in the game with, what else, defense.
The Patriots held Loyola Chicago to 1-of-11 shooting from three in a dominant second half on the way to an 82-74 win on Monday night.
Mason (17-1, 5-0 A-10, NET: 68) added to the best start in school history with the win.
Loyola Chicago (5-13, 1-4 A-10, NET: 319) shot 59.4 percent in the first half and went into the locker room with a 47-41 lead.
Mason fought back to make it a tight game into the final five minutes, then took control with an 11-2 run over a 4:19 stretch during which the Patriots held the Ramblers to one make from the field, while Riley Allenspach, who finished with 23 points, went on a tear, scoring all 11 points for Mason during the stretch.
Jahari Long added 17 points, while Masai Troutman notched 14 and made 4-of-5 from three.
Kory Mincy rounded out the double figure scorers with 11 points, five rebounds, a team-high four assists and 0 turnovers.
“We have to find a way to get off to better starts,” Mason coach Tony Skinn said. “But in conference play, you’re not going to check off all the boxes. The box that matters most is the ability to find a way. I thought we did that against a Loyola team that came out with the right energy. We tightened up defensively in the second half, but we need to get better.”
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Chris Graham
