The postseason rolled on for the George Mason University men’s basketball team on
Saturday afternoon, with a home game in the second round of the National Invitational
Tournament and a chance to set the program’s all-time record for wins in a single season. The
Patriots would face a formidable challenger in a Bradley Braves squad boasting the same 27-8
record as Mason, and EagleBank Arena was about as packed as it has been all year long.
Jalen Haynes scored the first five points for GMU, and Darius Maddox hit a three to give
the home team a 12-8 lead, capping off a 9-1 run. It was a low-scoring contest for the majority of
the first half – even by Mason’s defensive-minded standard – but both teams began knocking
down shots late in the period, unfortunately Bradley more so than the Patriots. The visitors went
ahead by nine after hitting a series of threes, and after briefly extending the lead to double digits,
Mason was left facing a 37-28 deficit at the intermission.
The second half got off to a faster start as Maddox scored a quick five points for the
Patriots, but Bradley stayed hot as well and extended its led to 49-35 after the opening few
minutes. Mason would trail by as much as 18, but the Patriots weren’t going to go away quietly,
and a 11-0 run brought them back within 55-48 as the home crowd came to life. GMU continued
to chip away, as a Haynes dunk cut the deficit to five and a Maddox layup with under four
minutes remaining brought the score to 65-62, but that was as close as they’d get. Bradley’s
Duke Deen hit a massive three to put them back up six and the Patriots weren’t able to convert
on some prime chances at the rim, as the Braves escaped with the 75-67 victory, ending Mason’s
season with a final record of 27-9.
“It’s a tough way to end the season,” head coach Tony Skinn admitted to open his
postgame presser. “But what we were able to do this year, it’s not normal.”
Skinn mentioned his six seniors and the progress they made over the course of his two
seasons thus far in Fairfax, setting the standard for a return to prominence for Mason basketball.
“When George Mason is good, it’s good for the whole league,” he said.
K.D. Johnson led the way for the Patriots with 16 points, while Maddox had 15. Christian
Davis and Corey Thomas both had 21 for Bradley, who advances to play Chattanooga in the NIT
quarterfinals.