GW (12-14, 6-7 A-10), down six at the half, fought back to go ahead 45-44 with less than 10 minutes remaining, but from there, Mason freshman Justyn Fernandez exploded for four three-pointers in just over four minutes.
That fueled a 15-2 run that gave the Patriots (15-12, 7-7 A-10) command of the game for good.
“GW has an NBA mid-season flow to their offense,” Mason coach Kim English said. “Our guys did a really good job of feeling the texture of the game in the first half. In the second half, we were able to get stops on command, which gave us the cushion needed to pull out the win.”
The defensive effort proved consistent throughout, as the Green & Gold held the A-10’s top scoring offense (76.5 ppg) to just 53 points, the Colonials’ lowest output of the season.
Josh Oduro led the Patriots with his A-10-leading 11th double-double of the season. The Gainesville product tallied team bests in points (19) and rebounds (12) while dishing out three assists and grabbing three steals in 33 minutes.
Fernandez finished with 15 points, just three off his career high, and made a sizzling 5-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc.
Ronald Polite III added 12 points (5-8 FG), five rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes.
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Chris Graham
