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| Loyola at George Mason |
| When » Wednesday, 7 p.m. |
| Where » Patriot Center, Fairfax |
| Loyola (3-3) of the MAAC is led by homegrown guards Jamal Barney (13.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Dylon Cormier (11.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg). Wednesday will be a homecoming for junior F Anthony Wimbush (T.C. Williams) and sophomore F Erik Etherly (Annandale), the team’s top rebounder (7.2 pg). Loyola is coached by former Maryland assistant Jimmy Patsos. |
Reserve left-handers Tate, Vaughns hit 8 of 9 three-pointers
Because Luke Hancock was late for a shootaround before George Mason’s game with visiting UNC Wilmington, he took a seat on the bench, surrendering his starting job Saturday to Isaiah Tate.
So how did the lineup disruption effect the Patriots’ production at Hancock’s wing guard slot? For one magical half, Tate and Hancock were perfect as they sparked Mason to a 80-52 rout of UNC Wilmington.
Hitting 8 of 8 shots from the floor, including 4 of 4 from 3-point range, Tate and Hancock scored 21 points in their combined 20 minutes in the first half, propelling Mason to a 24-point lead that the Seahawks never challenged before a crowd of 5,461.
“That’s pretty good,” said Mason coach Jim Larranaga with a smile.
Tate, a 6-foot-4 senior, finished with a career-high 16 points, hitting all four of his shots from the arc. Hancock, a 6-5 sophomore, added 11 points and four assists.
In addition to Tate’s stellar work, it was a big night for another left-handed reserve. Freshman guard Vertrail Vaughns (14 points, 5 rebounds) came off the bench for his career high, hitting 4 of 5 shots from the arc.
“Our guards were able to penetrate and they found me and Vertrail,” said Tate, a DeMatha graduate. “We got great looks and we were fortunate enough to make them.”
In winning its fourth straight game on its current five-game homestand, Mason (6-2, 1-0) hit 53.2 percent of its shots from the floor and 52.4 from the arc.
The Patriots also played scrambling, pressure defense. For the fourth straight game, Mason also held its opponent under 40 percent from the floor. UNCW (3-4, 0-1) shot 37.7 percent and didn’t have a player in double figures. Top scorer, senior guard Chad Tomko (4 points), was held 10 below his average, primarily by Mason point guard Andre Cornelius (5 points, 5 assists).
“We defended a very good 3-point shooting team,” said Larranaga. “They shot 23 percent and they came into the game shooting 41 percent.”
Three days after getting just four points from his bench in a 60-46 win over George Washington, Larranaga got big production from his reserves, who combined for 38 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Larranaga used his Green Team – all reserves on the floor together – in the first half to take control of the game. During a 7-minute stretch, all 24 points came from the bench as Mason transformed a 1-point lead into a 36-18 bulge.
“I told them, ‘A lot of times, you guys are all in there as a unit,'” said Larranaga. “‘You’re basically playing a [boxing] round – about four minutes. And how you perform in those four minutes impacts not only the team’s performance and our chances for success, but your performance and your chances for playing more minutes.”
The most impactful reserve was Vaughns, who hit 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions, supplying the final nine points of an 11-0 run that gave Mason a 30-16 lead.
“He’s an unconscious shooter. He doesn’t know what range is,” said Larranaga. “If I’m on the court and I’m open, I’m shooting.”
Vaughns shoots flat-footed, with his head tilted sideways, and the ball cocked behind his head. It’s hardly textbook, but Larranaga has learned to trust the freshman left-hander.
“Had a discussion with my staff to make sure, ‘Don’t mess with him. You can’t change guys who have developed a style unique to themselves,'” said Larranaga. “You can’t try to imitate Tiger Woods’ golf swing, if you’ve been swinging like Jim Larranaga all your life.”
Notes: Luke Hancock was back on the floor to start the second half. He was late for the shootaround because of another campus commitment … To the delight of Mason fans, Larranaga inserted walk-on Tommy Amistead for the first time this season. The 6-5 freshman entered with 1:40 left. He missed a shot and had a turnover … Junior frontcourt players Ryan Pearson (12 points, 5 rebounds) and Mike Morrison (4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks) also contributed.
