George Mason takes down ODU for ninth straight win

The Patriots took down ODU yesterday 62-45 in front of a record crowd at the Patriot Center. Mason started off slow scoring only 4 points int he game's first 11 minutes but came out firing in the second half on a run that ignited the large crowd.  This team has been coming out strong in the 2nd half all season long and they continue to put together runs that leave the other team looking confused and defeated.  The Monarchs inability to take advantage of the Patriots slow start was there undoing as they had an ugly day from the field and behind the arch.  Mason held ODU to 27.3% from the field and 1-of-15 from the three-point line. It almost seemed like Mason was taken in a little too much by the atmosphere and the importance the game in the beginning of this one. But like we have seen many times this season already they pulled themselves together at half time and were unstoppable to close out the game.  

Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison were huge and battled tough up front with ODU's forwards. Pearson ended up with a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Morrison added 10 and 7.  Morrison might have had his best game of the season yesterday as he was assertive something the team really needs from him.  Up until yesterday you could argue Mason's front court players were their weakness but they proved they can go toe-to-toe with a physical team like ODU and beat them at their own game.

The Patriots just continue to find ways to win, no matter what type of game they are in.  In this one they were entrenched in a low scoring game by their standards but still found a way to overcome it.  You would have thought a low scoring affair would favor the Monarchs but this Patriots team just flat out knows how to win games.  They don't let another team bully them into playing a different brand of basketball and they are executing from all over the court.

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[Photo Credit Amp Photography]