After a 10 year absence, the George Mason High School boys basketball team is back playing in the VHSL Final Four. After defeating Middlesex 73-56 last Saturday, the Mustangs now face the defending state champions, James River High tonight, at 9 p.m. at the Siegel Center in Richmond. Keep refreshing this page for updates throughout the game. You can also follow along with the ‘Stangs and the News-Press on Twitter and Facebook.
10:24 p.m.: Game recap available here.
10:20 p.m.: Mason hit only 11 of 63 shots, including 1 of 14 from 3-point range and was never in this game. Noel Obusan led Mason scoring with 7 points. Ogle and Alexander had 6 rebounds each.
10:18 p.m.: James River crushes Mason, final score, 67-31.
10:09 p.m.: James River runs off 10 straight points as Mason clears bench with 4:12 to go. JR lead is 59-30.
10:00 p.m.: Oosterbaan’s shot counted as a 2, not 3. Mason is only 1-10 in three-pointers
9:59 p.m.: At buzzer ending 3rd quarter, Eion Oosterbaan hits a 3 for Mason but James River carries a 45-23 lead into final period.
9:56 p.m.: At 1:20 in the 3rd, continued cold shooting by Mason musters only one field goal in the quarter as James River pulls out to a 45-21 lead.
9:48 p.m.: First Mason point of third quarter at 5:51 is a free throw, 40-19 James River leads
9:41 p.m.: Halftime stats- Mason 16 rebounds, James River 20. Alexander 6, Obusan 5, Stewart 5, Griffiths 1, Venets 1 accounts for Mason’s scoring.
9:36 p.m.: Mason down at half, 37-18. While Mason unable to use one of its primary weapons, the three-point shot, making only of five attempts, James River hit three three-point shots in the last 3:32 of the second period to propel its lead going into the half. Brandon Alexander’s six points and six rebounds leads Mason at this point.
9:28 p.m.: 27-12, James River, at 2:38 of 2nd
9:26 p.m.: James River over Mason, 24-12, at 3:50 of the 2nd quarter.
9:22 p.m.: Six straight points on 3 close-in shots by James River ups its lead to 20-8 in first 2 minutes of the second quarter.
9:20 p.m.: 1st qt recap: Mason misses first 7 shots, down 9-0 after 4 min, outscores James River, 8-5, in next 4 minutes (End of 1st, 14-8, James River)
9:18 p.m.: After the end of the first quarter, James River leads Mason, 14-8
9:12 p.m.: 10-7 at 2:14 as Obuson dishes an assist to Brandon Alexander underneath
9:11 p.m.: Mason’s Noel Obuson’s steal and laying followed by his 3-pointer makes it 9-5, James River, at 3 min. to go in first.
9:08 p.m.: Mason down 9-0 at 4:40 of first quarter, missing first 5 shots
9:00 p.m.: Tip Off!
8:35 p.m.: Falls Church George Mason High School Mustangs boys basketball team pares off against the defending state champion James River Knights from Buchanan County in Southwestern Virginia at 9 p.m. tonight at the Siegel Center at the Virginia Commonwealth University here tonight. The game is the second semi-final among the state tournament’s Final Four teams in the Group A Division 2 of the Virginia High School League. Tonight marks the Mason boys first trip to the basketball final four since 2001. In tonight’s first game, Radford defeated Lancaster in overtime and will play the winner of the Mason-James River game for the state title on Saturday.
