Looking to bounce back from a pair of losses on the road, the 15-7 George Mason University mens’ basketball team returned to the friendly confines of EagleBank Arena to take on the Ramblers of Loyola-Chicago for some Wednesday night hoops action. Loyola, who much like Mason is best-known nationally in recent years for a surprise Final Four run in 2018 (and for the folk celebrity of 104-year-old school chaplain Sister Jean), entered the game with the same 15-7 record but was a road underdog for the matchup.
The game was a physical one from the start, but it wasn’t without a scoring punch as Mason sank a trio of three-pointers from three different players to take an early 9-8 lead. The third of those threes began a 12-0 run, with Darius Maddox responsible for six of those points as the Patriots raced out to a 20-11 advantage. Loyola came back with an 8-0 run of its own to get within one, but Mason then answered with eight straight points itself as the momentum swings continued throughout the first half. The Patriots found their way to the free throw line early and often, and it was on a pair of Baraka Okojie foul shots late in the period that gave them their first double-digit lead of the night at 35-25. The lead expanded to twelve before Loyola got back within five, but Maddox sent the team into the break in emphatic fashion with a deep three at the buzzer to give the Patriots a 44-36 lead.
Some choppy play began the second half, and the road team scored the first five points to close to within three. Things got a bit testy with the officiating as head coach Tony Skinn was assessed a technical foul, and Loyola took a 49-48 lead on the ensuing possession. It was short-lived for the time being as Keyshawn Hall converted on a three-point play to put the Patriots back in front, and Mason once again used the free throw line to its advantage, entering double-bonus territory about midway through the period. But Loyola kept on clawing back, and after tying the game several times, the Ramblers finally gained the upper hand with just over five minutes left, hitting a three-pointer to break a 68-68 tie.
The Patriots stayed in the fight but were unable to get the lead back, and ended up falling 85-79 after the final minute became a free throw contest. Hall (20 points, 9 rebounds) and Maddox (18 points) did their best to carry the home team, while Baraka Okojie added 15 and Amari Kelly had 12 with 7 boards.
“It was a tough one,” said Skinn. “I thought for about the first two thirds of the game we had a great spirit, but then we lost it.”
Skinn was visibly frustrated throughout the presser, and repeatedly mentioned the team’s 17 turnovers as a crucial undoing. However, he also made it a point to note that the team can’t dwell on a game like this.
“There’s no need to fret,” he said. “We’ve got eight games left… we’ve just got to get ourselves in a position where we can get some games back. We put a few games together, anything can happen. We’re not going to have a defeatist spirit.”
Mason’s next chance to right the ship will be on Saturday at Davidson.
