Stas Sivka had 17 points and six rebounds off the bench, Fatt Hill and Kory Mincy each added nine, and the George Mason men’s basketball team suffocated Rhode Island defensively en route to a 61-50 win.
After opening up Atlantic 10 conference play with a hard-fought victory at La Salle, the George Mason men returned home to face Rhode Island and Archie Miller on Saturday. They’d given up at least 75 points in their past three games despite winning all of them, and head coach Tony Skinn’s frustration with his defense has shown.
This time, the message finally got through. Dola Adebayo missed his third consecutive outing with a foot injury, and it was Sivka who stepped up in a major way in his absence. He had points, three rebounds, a block, and two steals in the first half as Mason led 31-26 at the break, controlling the action for most of the way. The Patriots gave up a 7-0 run to begin the second, prompting Skinn to re-insert the sophomore Slovenian big man, who immediately knocked down his third three. The Patriots wouldn’t trail again.
A 6-0 run gave Mason its first double digit lead late at 50-40, and after that it never got any closer than six. This one was a slugfest all day, and it especially showed in the second half. There were deflections and loose balls and bodies on the floor galore, and tempers flared after Rhode Island’s Alex Crawford was whistled for a flagrant foul on Emmanuel Kanga. Mincy hit the dagger three with under a minute left, just after Sivka had made two of three free throws after being fouled behind the arc.
“We found our identity,” Skinn emphatically stated postgame. “I’m always so much happier when we keep teams to 50 points.”
Rhode Island committed 12 turnovers and went 9-for-31 from three-point range. The Patriots struggled at the free throw line (15-for-26) and missed a few layups in the first half, but other than that, there’s not much to complain about.
Sivka was the story. Prior to Saturday, he’d never played more than 14 minutes in any contest against a Division I opponent. Against Rhode Island, he played 32 and was named KenPom.com’s MVP of the game. “When he gets his number called, he shows up,” Skinn said of his only returning player from last season who is currently healthy.
With the win, the Patriots move to 14-1 on the season. Next up, they’ll visit Fordham on Wednesday night before coming home to take on bitter rival VCU on Saturday.
