Patriots buck the trend in slumping Colonial Athletic Association
After a season of unprecedented success, culminating with Virginia Commonwealth’s run to the Final Four, teams in the Colonial Athletic Association have done little to distinguish themselves in the first month of this season.
Through games of Wednesday night, CAA teams were a combined 30-42. Last year against non-conference foes, teams in the conference went 101-74.
Wednesday night in Fairfax, however, George Mason reversed the trend, but not without a considerable struggle. With Ryan Pearson and Sherrod Wright making the key plays down the stretch, GMU escaped with a 61-57 victory before 5,057 at the Patriot Center.
Senior forward Pearson (16 points) and sophomore guard Wright (14 points) allowed Mason (5-2) to repel a long-distance assault from Bucknell sophomore Cameron Ayres (23 points), who hit five of eight three-point shots. Two of Ayres misses, however, came in the critical final 2:36, when the Bison failed to score a field goal.
Bucknell (5-3) had a last chance to tie, but 6-11 Mike Muscala (11 points, 15 rebounds) missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key with five seconds left. GMU sophomore guard Vertrail Vaughns then sewed it up, hitting one of two free throws.
“We got the look we wanted,” Bucknell coach Dave Paulsen said. “Muscala really actually shoots the ball very well from the three.”
Coming against last year’s Patriot League champion, this was a quality win for Mason. But it still was a grind. Mason shot 40 percent and appeared out of synch at times with freshman point guard Corey Edwards (concussion) sidelined.
“I’d much rather have a pretty win,” Mason coach Paul Hewitt said. “We have the potential to be better offensively. And I like where we’re going defensively.”
Mason ganged up on Bucknell’s top inside player Muscala, who hit 5 of 11 shots, and its top outside threat, Bryson Johnson, who missed all six of his shots and failed to score.
“Bryson Johnson is actually our best shooter,” Paulsen said. “I know it didn’t look that way.”
Another starting guard, Bryan Cohen, missed all seven of his shots and didn’t score. Cohen, the two-time Patriot League defensive player of the year, has missed his last 17 shots, failing to score in his last three games. On Wednesday night, the Patriot guards had something to do with his misfires.
“We’re starting to click, starting to flow, starting to get those stops,” Wright said. “Starting to make those plays offensively and defensively.”
Sophomore Bryon Allen (12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, zero turnovers) had a solid game in the backcourt and hit the biggest basket of the night, a layup on a high-post feed from 6-9 senior Mike Morrison, which gave Mason a 59-56 lead with 35 seconds left.
“I’m going to step up and be a leader until Corey gets back,” said Allen, who scored the game’s first five points.
Mason travels to Towson (0-6) on Saturday night to begin play in the CAA.
“It will ratchet up the speed of the game as the games become more important,” Hewitt said.
Notes: Edwards was injured in practice as he clipped guard Andre Cornelius. His status is uncertain. “It’s up to Debbie [Corbato],” Hewitt said, referring to the GMU team doctor.
