George Mason finally wins again at ODU, improves to 3-0 in CAA

(Credit: Rob Ostermaier, Daily Press) 

Since the inception of this blog I have never been able to write about a victory in Norfolk against ODU.  It has been nearly 8 years since the the Patriots last got a win there.  It was usually a date on the schedule you would pencil in as one of the few losses on the CAA record and the fact that they won there this year could be huge.  This wasn't last year's 27-win ODU squad, but this also wasn't last year's George Mason squad.  Mason looked like the better squad all game long as ODU's offense struggled mightily to put any runs together. It looked as if the Patriots were going to run away with this one early but they got a little sloppy before halftime. The sloppiness then carried over to the 2nd half when they had some real trouble getting any baskets outside of the paint.  Mason had their fair share of mistakes and scoring struggles but were able to maintain their lead the whole game and make the big plays when they had to. While ODU's offense was awful, some of that was due to the Patriots defensive efforts and that has to make Paul Hewitt happy.

It was amazing how many second chance opportunities the Monarchs could not convert on. They ended the game with 22 offensive rebounds compared to Mason's 8.  Erik Copes would have been more helpful on the glass if not for getting into early foul trouble. His aggressiveness got the best of him and the refs were calling every ticky-tack foul. Regardless, the Patriots could have used some help on the boards outside of Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison, both of whom had great games.  They made it a point to get the ball in to Morrison early and it opened things up for everyone else, setting the tone for the rest of the game. 

Pearson started the game with back-to-back three-pointers and Vertrail Vaughns added another early but that was sadly end of their three-pointers for the night.  They certainly had their share of open looks but couldn't connect.  Luckily they never trailed and every time ODU started to come back Bryon Allen would drive the lane and get an "and 1" or two free-throws.  Allen is really starting to become a nice point guard and his progression is paying dividends for this team.  He ended up scoring 10 of his 14 points in the second half and seemed unstoppable when he drove the lane. Vertrail Vaughns also stepped up in this game and hit some nice outside shots; the team needs more of this from him in the future. I really thought Andre Cornelius would have more of an impact on offense but his efforts on defense should not go unnoticed.

Overall the decision making from the back court is improving and we seeing less turnovers and ill-advised possessions. It was some ugly basketball for awhile but Mason proved to be a little less ugly edged out a tough road win.  ODU's defense and rebounding kept them in it but Mason made the defensive stops and big shots when they had to.  Despite some mistakes they never lost the killer instinct and that is a great sign for this team. I've been hard on Paul Hewitt so far but he was able to accomplish something last night that Jim Larranaga rarely did and this is starting to look like a different team than what we saw in the beginning of the year.

Showdown with Georgia State tomorrow should be a good one.

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