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George Mason got some clutch offensive performances late to pick up a 66-61 victory at JMU Friday afternoon in Harrisonburg.
Mason (5-3) trailed 50-48 with 8:02 remaining, but used a 10-3 run to go up five at 58-53. James Madison (4-4) would not move closer than two (63-61) for the remainder of the game.
Patriots senior Jalen Haynes scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the second half and scored six straight for the Green & Gold down the stretch. He went 8-of-13 from the floor and also grabbed a season-best eight rebounds in 30 minutes of work.
Senior K.D. Johnson notched 12 of his season-best 14 points in the deciding second half to go along with five rebounds and three assists.
Senior Darius Maddox added 13 points and a team-best three steals, but left the game midway through the second half with a lower body injury.
George Mason shot 48.9 percent for the game and used its interior strength to make 19-of-34 (.559) attempts from inside the arc. That led to a sizable 34-22 edge in points in the paint for the game.
The Patriots limited the Dukes, who entered the game top-60 nationally in three-pointers made/game (10.0) and percentage (.380), to just 25 percent (10-of-40) from beyond the arc. Overall, the Dukes shot 36 percent (23-of-64) on their home floor.
The victory marks Mason’s 24th in the last 27 meetings against former conference rival James Madison.
Next up, the Patriots return home for a pair of contests. First up, Mason hosts UNC Asheville on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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Chris Graham
