George Mason defeats Rhode Island 61-50
George Mason Edges Out Rhode Island in Conference Thriller
In a tightly contested conference matchup, George Mason (HOME) emerged victorious over visiting Rhode Island with a final score of 61-50 at EagleBank Arena on Sunday.
The home team took an early lead and never looked back, outscoring Rhode Island by 11 points in the end. The largest margin of the game was 12 points for George Mason, who led by as many as 12 in the second half before Rhode Island trimmed the deficit to just two points late.
Stas Sivka paced George Mason with a strong all-around performance, scoring 17 points on 3-4 three-point shooting and grabbing six rebounds. Kory Mincy chipped in with four assists and nine points off the bench.
For Rhode Island (AWAY), Myles Corey led the way with 12 points, but the Rams struggled from beyond the arc, making just two of their 11 attempts. Tyler Cochran contributed seven rebounds and eight points for Rhode Island, which outrebounded George Mason 34-35 but was ultimately outscored in the paint.
The game saw both teams battle for every possession, with neither able to gain a significant advantage until late in the second half. However, when George Mason took control, they never relinquished it, using their size and depth to outmuscle Rhode Island in the key areas of the court.
In terms of advanced statistics, George Mason's eFG% (52.3%) and FT Rate (59.1%) were slightly better than those of their visitors, who struggled with their free throw shooting at just 33%. The Patriots' OREB% of 11.4% also helped them control the paint and limit Rhode Island's opportunities.
Despite falling short, Rhode Island's performance was still notable, especially considering they faced one of the toughest opponents in the conference. The Rams will look to bounce back from this tough loss when they host another strong opponent next week.
Final Box Score
George Mason:
- Field Goals: 19/44 (43.0%)
- 2-Point FG: 11/28 (39.3%)
- 3-Point FG: 8/16 (50.0%)
- Free Throws: 15/26 (58.0%)
Rhode Island:
- Field Goals: 19/53 (36.0%)
- 2-Point FG: 10/22 (45.5%)
- 3-Point FG: 9/31 (29.0%)
- Free Throws: 3/9 (33.0%)