George Mason takes West Virginia to the limit in 85-78 exhibition game loss

Virginia Tech transfer Darius Maddox scored 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting in his George Mason debut, an 85-78 loss in an exhibition game against West Virginia on Friday night in Morgantown.

Mason led by as many as 10, and had the lead for the bulk of the contest, which, judging from the box score, specifically, the minutes played for the rotation guys, played out as if both coaches were treating it as a live-fire exercise.

So, that’s a good sign for the new-look Mason team under first-year head coach Tony Skinn.

“Our guys battled tonight. We’re starting to learn who we are as a team, and I’m excited about that,” Skinn said. “Foul trouble affected what I think will be our regular rotation, but it also allowed some other guys to go out there and compete.”

The Patriots had a 71-70 lead with 4:05 to go, but an offensive foul on Baraka Okojie was upgraded to a flagrant, and WVU used the free throws and extra possession to fuel a 10-0 run that made it 80-71 with 2:08 left.

Mason would cut it to four (80-76) with under a minute to play, but WVU was able to hold on for the victory.

Mason shot an efficient 48.1 percent (25-of-52) from the floor and 43.8 percent (7-of-16) from three-point range while committing just nine turnovers.

The Mountaineers held a 30-24 edge in points in the paint and turned 11 offensive rebounds into a +8 (21-13) edge in second chance points.

“We took care of the basketball, but technique-wise, we need to go back into the film and see where we can improve,” Skinn said. “We can’t let up in those clutch moments, and I thought that ultimately was the difference in the game.”

Maddox, who averaged 6.1 points per game in 18.5 minutes per game in parts of three seasons at Virginia Tech, shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from three, has averaged 15.5 points per game for Mason in the 2023 preseason.

Maddox was 2-of-5 from three on Friday night, and 6-of-6 inside the arc.

Sophomore Keyshawn Hall added 12 points (5-of-10 FG), while Okojie, a freshman, chipped in 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Ronald Polite III also reached double figures, each scoring 11 points, for the Green & Gold.

The Patriots host Monmouth in the program’s regular season opener on Monday, Nov. 6. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.