George Mason 74, Ohio 65
Normally it’s the reserve players who leap off the bench to meet their teammate with a chest bump when he’s come off the floor following a huge bucket that’s forced the opponent to call timeout.
On Saturday, it was George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga who bounded with a celebratory shove into Dre Smith, as the senior sharpshooter showed signs of shaking off an early-season scoring slump and helped the Patriots build an insurmountable first-half lead in a 74-65 win over Ohio.
Smith finished with a season-high 15 points that was highlighted by two 3-pointers during a 16-1 first-half run that gave George Mason (5-1) a 30-11 lead with 6:45 remaining before the break.
The first one made the score 21-10, which forced Ohio rookie head coach John Groce to halt the action and had Larranaga bursting with excitement. Smith’s 2-for-7 showing from behind the arc for the game did little improve his season numbers (7-for-37, 18.9 percent. But Larranaga was clearly encouraged.
“One of the expressions we use, especially with the very good shooters, is when you’re hot, just keep looking for your shots,” said Larranaga, who boasted five different Patriots scoring in double figures. “And when you’re cold, shoot until to you get hot. That’s what [Smith] needed to do. He really got himself going early, missed one and came right back and hit another about five seconds later.”
Smith also went 7-for-8 from the line, including hitting his last six free throws down the stretch in the second half to clinch the victory in front of 5,159 at Patriot Center.
The Bobcats (2-1) kept it interesting by drawing fouls and taking advantage of some mismatches to find lanes to the basket, cutting the deficit to 50-40 by halftime. Ohio built a 15-4 advantage in free throw attempts in the first half, but the Patriots turned the tables with a 25-11 margin in the second period.
“We got a little sluggish at the end of the half,” said sophomore guard Cam Long, who dished out five assists and had 15 points to tie Smith for the team high. “We started out with a big lead, and I think we got a little big head and relaxed a little bit. They got off a little bit and got confidence.”
George Mason senior forward Darryl Monroe (11 points, nine rebounds, three assists) was again steady down low. But with Louis Birdsong and John Vaughan both battling early foul trouble, freshmen Ryan Pearson (13 points) and Andre Cornelius (12 points) each provide a necessary contribution.
“A game like tonight is very winnable and lose-able,” said Larranaga. “You have to show some resiliency because the other team is very good, and they’re going to make a run.”
