Wilmington, N.C. – Junior guard Andre Cornelius hit seven 3-pointers and had a season-high 25 points and the visiting George Mason men’s basketball team used another second-half surge to get past UNC-Wilmington, 78-63, last night.
The Patriots have now won 10 straight games to improve to 20-5 overall and 12-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association, a half-game ahead of Virginia Commonwealth for first place.
“He’s been great,” senior guard Cam Long, who had 17 points, said of Cornelius. “I’ve just been trying to tell him, ‘Every time man, just catch and shoot’.”
George Mason struggled in the first half, which has been the case on occasion during its current streak, with sophomore swingman Luke Hancock and sixth-man Isaiah Tate picking up three first-half fouls and Long being whistled twice before taking a 31-30 halftime advantage.
In the second half, the teams exchanged runs, with the Patriots stretching the lead to as many as 12 before the Seahawks cut the lead to 62-55 on a jumper by leading-scorer Chad Tomko (20 points) with 5 minutes, 11 seconds remaining. George Mason would have another answer, however, and used a 10-0 run spurred by Long and Hancock to ice the game.
“We were not as sharp as we’ve been, and their execution was better than ours [in the first half],” George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said. “But at halftime, we regrouped, refocused, and I thought played a very good second half.”
The win moves the Patriots to within one game of tying the school record for consecutive victories, a feat they will look to match when they host rival James Madison on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Patriot Center.
Junior forward Ryan Pearson reached double-figures for the 18th straight game, finishing with 13 points and 9 rebounds, and Hancock again stuffed the stat sheet, this time with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.
“This George Mason team is well-rounded,” said UNC-Wilmington coach Buzz Peterson said. “They’re a very good basketball team. They have so many weapons offensively that can score. You’re worried about those inside guys, and then they hit those outside shots.
“You’ve got to give them credit. They came in here, and now they’ve won 10 in a row.”
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