Mason Fights Off the Colonials, Win 58-55

     There is something special about this year's Patriots squad. There are not many teams that can have 22 turnovers, blow a 16 point lead, have 2 bench points, and still manage to squeak out a victory. But this is not your usual team, this is a 7-3 inspired Patriots who refuse to lose. As Janaa Pickard put it after the game, "We expect to do well, working hard fuels that, this is exactly where we want to be at this point in the season."
      The first half featured poor shooting from both teams, with Mason shooting 32% and scoring 31, while George Washington shot 24% and had 21 points of their own. The Patriots, despite having the lead, struggled with their turnover margins throughout the entire first half. It was their stars who rose up once again and kept their lead intact, as Moton and Easter (along with 8 straight points from Saunders to end the half), combined for 31 points in the game. Moton and Saunders shot well from outside, combining to go 5 for 12 from outside the arc.
      GW was led by their star Guard Chakecia Miller, who did it all for the Colonials, scoring 20 points and sniping 10 steals. Miller and fellow guard Danni Jackson were able to run the break on the Patriots and score easily in the second half during their 18-6 run to cut the lead to 1. This was the second game in a row that a team was able to get out in the open court and run the fast break against George Mason, who will need to target that aspect of their game to improve on in the future.
      Mason was able to stave off the comeback in the waning moments, as Moton was able to hit a free throw to give the Patriots a 3 points lead, immediately after Colonials player Miller missed a wide open break away layup that would have tied the game. As the final desperation 3 pointer clanged off the rim, Mason came away with a very satisfying victory.
      Mason was able to get back on track after their 2 game losing streak. They will travel on the road for their next 3 games. They will play at Ohio on December 29th, tipoff is set for 7 pm. The Patriots will return home on January 8th when they take on CAA powerhouse Deleware, tipoff is set for 2 pm.