Game 21: GMU (15-5 / 4-3) at St. Joe’s (13-7 / 3-4) on Wednesday , January 31, at 7:00 PM.

[Yossarian]

Mason trails 72-70 with 46 seconds remaining

 

[Yossarian]

GMU lucks out with a St Joes turnover with 20 seconds remaining. Last Mason time out.

 

[Yossarian]

Horrible three attempt. St Joes nailing down the coffin lid.

 

[Yossarian]

Tight game throughout. 2 point loss.

 

[GMU79]

Missed free throws by the better shooting team.
Killed us against vcu too.

 

[gmutom]

Can’t say we didn’t have our chances. Can’t commit so many unforced turnovers and miss FTs and expect to win on the road In this league.

 

[Patriotsince81]

Well, sh#t. Tough loss. Missed free throws and careless turnovers were our downfall.

 

[JimP]

Shit...so close. Just too much sloppy play down the stretch. Gotta get UMass somehow. Losing some top 4 hope...

 

[GreenLantern]

Flatline____________________

 

[hoops10]

Too many easy layups for St Joe. Overall our defense was poor. Billups 2 missed free throws really hurt. Again, we can't seem to handle the last 2 minutes very well. A lot to work on.

 

[hoopsjunkie75]

That game made me sad in pants. So winnable.

Those three consecutive missed free throws towards the end, Hall’s airball three, and our SPG putting up zero points. Shame.

I guess what I have learned is that, although Okojie will be a stud, he just doesn’t have enough minutes under his belt to be the SPG, yet. He’s gonna have more great games this season, but he doesn’t have the consistency yet.

Ronnie needs to find a spark, this loss shows just how much we need him to be on his game.

 

[Patriotsince81]

I HAVE put aside any dreams/fantasies that Polite is ever going to be a consistent difference maker. Baraka is better offensively and defensively right now. I'd rather lose with freshman aggression than senior passiveness and indifference. I was happy to see TS start Baraka in the 2nd half. I hope to see him start games beginning Saturday. We have a better chance of winning with Okojie in the lineup. Let the hate, personal attacks, and threats begin........

 

[tblack33]

That game made me sad in pants. So winnable.

Those three consecutive missed free throws towards the end, Hall’s airball three, and our SPG putting up zero points. Shame.

I guess what I have learned is that, although Okojie will be a stud, he just doesn’t have enough minutes under his belt to be the SPG, yet. He’s gonna have more great games this season, but he doesn’t have the consistency yet.

Ronnie needs to find a spark, this loss shows just how much we need him to be on his game.

At some point Ronnie is who he is, and not who everyone wants him to be. There’s flashes here and there, but his numbers don’t lie at this point in the season, and no amount of wishing he’ll suddenly be a consistent 12-14 point scorer is going to change that.

 

[mkaufman1]

I HAVE put aside any dreams/fantasies that Polite is ever going to be difference maker. Baraka is better offensively and defensively right now. I'd rather lose with freshman aggression than senior passiveness and indifference. I was happy to see TS start Baraka in the 2nd half. I hope to see him start games beginning Saturday. We have a better chance of winning with Okojie in the lineup. Let the hate, personal attacks, and threats begin........

Listen doody head!

Yeah no disagreement. We’ve done this dance with Ronny for years. He is what he is. We need him no matter what the role, whether it’s a lesser role or a main role.

Bottom line for a game like tonight it comes down to small things. A lot of small things we didn’t do, and it becomes a big thing. Few missed free throws, defense lapses when we needed a stop.

It was a close game all night, and when we needed the stop we didn’t get it. It sucks.

Also, when we get no production from Newton and Polite it only makes it harder. Newton has been iced cold for half the year now. Malik played 2 backup minutes. Ronny non factor in 16 mins.

If we want any prayer of top 4, Saturday has become a must win.

 

[Jack Strop]

I HAVE put aside any dreams/fantasies that Polite is ever going to be a consistent difference maker. Baraka is better offensively and defensively right now. I'd rather lose with freshman aggression than senior passiveness and indifference. I was happy to see TS start Baraka in the 2nd half. I hope to see him start games beginning Saturday. We have a better chance of winning with Okojie in the lineup. Let the hate, personal attacks, and threats begin........

"...indifference."???

Ronnie BLEEDS green and gold. Everything else you said are opinions that I can accept (although I disagree), but not "indifference."

I don't know what Ronnie's problem is with attaining consistency, but it is NOT because he doesn't care.

 

[EXpatriot13]

One of those games we’re going to look back on and kick ourselves for letting it slip away. We have to find a way to win games like this and take that next step to get out of A10 purgatory, hope it can still happen this season.

Missed free throws, sloppy turnovers all contributing factors. It doesn’t help that those lapses become even more magnified and leave us with a razor thin margin for error when we get literally zero offensive production from Polite and Newton (and the bench in general).

Those two have combined for an avg of 6.8ppg over the last 6 games, we’re 2-4. We know who they are (or aren’t) at this point, but the expectation is more production than that. It would go a long way, especially in tight games, towards not having to rely on everyone and everything else to be damn near perfect.

 

[emjayar08]

Hax and I went tonight, and as others have pointed out, missed free throws were certainly the difference.

I also feel like these tiny gyms really rattle players some times.

Not a great showing of Mason fans tonight, usually we have the away section filled. It was maybe 30% tonight.

 

[psyclone]

Gomason write-up. Tony's take:

"That one was on me," head coach Tony Skinn ('06) said. "It was probably two or three possessions I went away from some things that have won us some games. We also made some bonehead plays down the stretch that just took the air out of our effort of taking control of this game."

Mason Falls in 75-73 Heartbreaker at Saint Joseph’s - George Mason University Athletics

The George Mason University men's basketball team (15-6, 4-4) nearly stole a win inside Hagan Arena Wednesday night but could not quite get over the hump in a 75-73

gomason.com

 

[Pablo]

Gomason write-up. Tony's take:

"That one was on me," head coach Tony Skinn ('06) said. "It was probably two or three possessions I went away from some things that have won us some games. We also made some bonehead plays down the stretch that just took the air out of our effort of taking control of this game."

Mason Falls in 75-73 Heartbreaker at Saint Joseph’s - George Mason University Athletics

The George Mason University men's basketball team (15-6, 4-4) nearly stole a win inside Hagan Arena Wednesday night but could not quite get over the hump in a 75-73

gomason.com

"The Patriots shot 55.6 percent in the second half and made 7-of-14 3pt attempts. But the Hawks shot a blistering 64 percent in the final stanza and 50.9 percent overall for the game.

After not allowing an opponent to shoot 50 percent from the floor over the first 19 games of the season, Mason's foes have now made 50+ percent of their attempts in back to back contests."

 

[GSII]

Great play to get a shooter open there at the end. Unfortunately it was the wrong shooter. Hall's legs were shot. His prior 3 pointers were very short. Maddox had the hot hand and imo, should have taken it.