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George Mason held La Salle to to 19 second half points in a 77-62 win over the Explorers Wednesday night in Philly.
La Salle (9-5, 0-1 A-10) hit 8-of-15 3-pointers (53.3 percent) and led by six (43-37) at the break. But the Patriots held the Explorers scoreless for more than seven minutes in the second stanza and used a lengthy 31-6 run over a 15-minute stretch to extend their lead to as many as 18 (76-58) late in the contest.
The win improves Mason to 12-2 for the first time since the 1983-1984 season.
“We didn’t have the toughness we needed in the first 20 minutes,” Mason coach Tony Skinn said. “Our guys talked at halftime and over those first few second half possessions, they really set the tone. Once they smelled it, they just got better possession after possession. From a defensive effort, those first few minutes really fueled us and gave us the cushion we needed to win the game.”
Sophomore guard Keyshawn Hall was spectacular in his A-10 debut while tallying his league-leading eighth double-double of the season. The Cleveland, Ohio, product poured in 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out three assists in a full 40 minutes of work.
Virginia Tech transfer Darius Maddox added 15 points on an efficient 6-of-10 shooting effort while grabbing a season-best seven rebounds. He also made 3-of-4 3-point attempts.
Graduate forward Amari Kelly added 12 points, six rebounds and three assists, while junior guard Jared Billups chipped in seven points and eight rebounds.
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Chris Graham
