Patriots open conference play with big win over Towson

Forward Mike Morrison slams home his first of three dunks Saturday night. The senior finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. (John Powell)

TOWSON, Md. - The George Mason men’s basketball team opened conference play with a victory Saturday night with a 65-53 win over the Towson Tigers (0-7, 0-1). Every starter for the Patriots (6-2, 1-0) put up double figures in scoring, led by senior forwards Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson who had 14 apiece.

Out of the gate, Mason took the lead with an almost-laid back approach. They worked the offensive side of the court, manhandling the Tiger defenders in progress. Sixteen Patriot points came in the paint.

With 10 minutes to go in the half, Coach Paul Hewitt turned up the heat. Mason switched to a three-quarter-court press, and watched their 13-point lead start to slip away. Morrison tried to raise the intensity with his second dunk of the night, but a 3-pointer by Towson’s Will Adams brought the game to a seven-point difference.

“I actually thought we were overanxious,” Hewitt said. “We got that great start. And we got that bench in the game. It looked like guys were just anxious to get a shot up … I’m just going to chalk it up to inexperience.”

Hewitt refused to give up on the pressure, opening the second half with the same level of intensity.

“I thought the pressure did what we wanted it to do,” Hewitt said. “We took some long shots. [Towson wasn’t] shooting the ball well coming into the game. Give them credit, they knocked down some tough threes.”

Ball-distribution improved in the second half. In 17 minutes, Pearson only scored two points on a set of free throws. Morrison did a bit better, managing four points. Without the shooting numbers – even the number of shots taken were low – the duo proved their worth on the boards. Morrison totaled eight rebounds, splitting them between offense and defense, while Pearson took his seven from the defensive side.

But the seniors had the option to relax, watching their teammates in the backcourt bolster their stat lines. Bryon Allen, Sherrod Wright and Vertrail Vaughns tallied 18 second-half points, putting every starter above the double-digit scoring mark, not that Hewitt was content with all of the shots. The Patriots went 9-of-21 from the field in the second half.

“I just thought there were some fumbled catches, some missed layups,” he said. “We’re way under the rim and guys are shooting. It’s like, ‘What are you doing? Kick it out.’ ”

The Tigers’ forward Marcus Damas did all he could on for the Maryland team, scoring 25 points in the game. Most notably, he brought his team to the closest margin they saw outside of the opening minutes.

After a missed jumper by Allen, Towson’s preseason favorite Robert Nwankwo grabbed the rebound and sent it to Damas. The sophomore moved around and drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key, cutting the Patriots’ lead to five points

“I think we’ve got a lot of young guys,” Pearson said. “This was their first real test on the road, and Towson, the first league game. Me and Mike just basically tried to hold the team together.”

It was the high point of the Tigers’ night, making only one shot in the closing minutes. Mason closed with a 7-2 run, finishing the 12-point win, the second-closest game Towson has played this season.

The Patriots return to action Tuesday night at the University of Virginia.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Morrison said. “They have some talented players, watching them play the other day.  I love competition, I’m sure they’ll have a nice crowd there. I’m looking forward to playing against some tough competition.”

Tip-off against the Cavaliers is slated for 7:00 p.m. Fans can watch on ESPN3.