Mason (5-4) held the Rockets’ top-10 scoring offense (86.9 ppg) to just 73 points and its top-40 field goal percentage unit (.491) to 40.9 percent (27-66) from the floor.
The win was Mason’s third straight and came against its highest ranked KenPom opponent (90) of the season.
DeVon Cooper led the Green & Gold with 19 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting night. He also made 3-of-5 attempts from three-point range and grabbed four rebounds in 31 minutes. At one point in the second half, he had a stretch where he scored 12 of Mason’s 14 points.
Victor Bailey Jr. tallied the first double-double of his career with 11 points and a personal-best 10 rebounds. He also hit a critical 3-pointer late in the game and went an important 6-of-7 from the free throw line in the game’s closing minute.
Davonte Gaines added nine points, four rebounds and two assists, while graduate forward Ginika Ojiako tallied nine points and four rebounds. Junior Ronald Polite III chipped in nine points as well.
The Patriots held Toledo star RayJ Dennis, who entered the game averaging 18.7 points per game, to just 10 on 4-of-18 shooting from the floor.
Mason now wrap up its four-game homestand with a contest against Maryland Eastern Shore on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
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Chris Graham
