Men’s Basketball improves to 2-0, continues action tonight against N.C. State

Cam Long brings the ball up the court in the home opener against Harvard. He will need to provide senior leadership Friday night against N.C. State. (Ezekiel Ibrahim-Watkins)

The George Mason Men’s team, led by sophomore Luke Hancock, made a statement in the opening round of the ESPN Charleston Classic Thursday night, defeating the Charlotte 49ers 78-56.

Hancock set a career-high with 18 points on an impressive 8-12 shooting performance. Junior Ryan Pearson and senior Cam Long also reached double figures with 11 and 10 respectively.

The Patriots opened an early lead, but the 49ers fought back, cutting the deficit to just six at halftime. But, the Patriots came out the locker room fired up and dominated the entire second half.

“One of the most important parts of the game is the five minutes when you come out of halftime, so for us to win that was big,” Hancock said.

Mason continues play in the tournament Friday against the N.C. State Wolfpack, aired on ESPNU at 6 p.m.

“I’m excited,” Hancock said about the upcoming match-up against the Wolfpack of the ACC. “We watched a little bit of them play ECU and they’re real athletic, they can really play.”

The Patriots will either play the 20th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas or Wofford Sunday to conclude the tournament.