George Mason combined efficient offense with relentless defense for the second-straight game en route to an 87-66 triumph over Penn Friday night inside EagleBank Arena.
Mason never trailed in the game and asserted its dominance early, building a 22-8 lead and a 43-27 edge at the break. The Patriots led by as many as 26 in the second half (71-46). In all, the Green & Gold have trailed for just 57 seconds through two games this season.
The Patriots eclipsed the 50 percent mark for the second-straight game while making 31-of-55 attempts (.564) on the night. Mason also made 12 3-pointers at an impressive .462 clip.
Through two games, the Patriots are shooting 67.7 percent from 2-point range (11th nationally) and hold a +43 advantage over their opponents in paint scoring (85-42).
On the other end, the Green & Gold limited a talented offensive Penn team to just 38.7 percent (24-62) for the game.
Junior Josh Oduro put together another monster effort in the post Friday, tallying a team-high 20 points (9-14 FG) to go along with eight rebounds, two steals and a block in 31 minutes. The preseason Third Team All-A-10 selection is shooting 65.4 percent (17-26) so far this season.
Graduate student D’Shawn Schwartz added 18 points on just nine shots, while making 5-of-9 attempts and 4-of-7 bombs from 3-point range.
Three other Patriots scored in double figures, including junior point guard Xavier Johnson, who put together his second straight outstanding effort with 12 points (5-6 FG), nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 31 minutes. He’s averaging an impressive 3.5 steals through two games this season.
Senior Jamal Hartwell II added 12 points and made 4-of-7 3-point attempts, while graduate student DeVon Cooper chipped in 12 points.
Mason wraps up its three-game homestand Sunday night with a 6 p.m. contest vs. Morgan State inside EagleBank Arena.
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