Men's Basketball downs Florida Atlantic, 66-51

Cam Long has provided senior leadership for the Patriots all season, contributing 10 points and six assists in Saturday's 66-51 victory over Florida Atlantic. (Ezekiel Ibrahim-Watkins)

Jim Larranaga and his George Mason Men’s team improved to 4-2 with a hard-fought 66-51 victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls (3-4) Saturday afternoon in front of the home crowd in the Patriot Center.

The Patriots’ ball movement was impressive throughout the contest, especially in the first half. Of the 15 shots converted in the first half, 12 were assisted.

The Owls remained in a zone defense for the majority of the game, allowing more space for the Patriots to dish the ball around the perimeter and inside the paint for cutters. They had just five assists in the second half, but 17 of the 26 total shots made were assisted.

“I think us working well together is just being together everyday and being friends with everybody and having fun,” sophomore Luke Hancock said.

Hancock finished the game with seven assists, and senior Cam Long had six assists.

“We’ve stressed it in practice lately as far as when you make a pass it’s a deliberate pass for a shot,” Hancock said. “I think everybody on the team has made it their focus to get more assists.”

Junior Mike Morrison led all scores with 18 points, and was the primary benefactor of the Patriots’ sharp ball movement. He had three alley-oop dunks from the hands of Hancock.

“I just play with energy and my teammates really got me the ball in easy places to score,” Morrison said.

Three other Patriots also scored in double figures. Hancock had 14 points to go along with his seven assists, and Long and junior Ryan Pearson had 10 points each.

This was the first game ever between the two schools. The Owls entered the game with victories over UC Davis, Milwaukee and Warner of the NAIA. They are coached by Mike Jarvis, a former head coach of Boston University, George Washington and St. Johns.

At the halfway point, the Patriots led 34-23, shooting an impressive 60 percent from the field. The Owls only lead in the contest was 2-0 to open the game.

The game grew more and more physical during the second half as the Patriots began to pull away. Frustration from the FAU players and coaching staff led to lots of pushing and grabbing on the court, and complaining to the refs from the sidelines. Jarvis nearly lost his cool on several occasions, as he grew argumentative with the officials.

“I thought our guys showed an awful lot of poise at handling the contact without losing their focus,” Larranaga said.

The lead hovered around 10 until the Patriots expanded it to 15 with about 12 minutes left in the game. The margin remained around 15 for the rest of the contest, primarily due to the defensive intensity. The Owls shot just 38 percent for the game and 28 percent from three.

“When we play defense we can win,” Hancock said. “For points per possession, when we hold teams under one we’re very successful.”

The Patriots return to action Wednesday night against cross-town rivals, George Washington, in the Patriot Center. This matchup has been dubbed the “Battle of the Orange Line,” and Larranaga’s crew will look to avenge last years’ loss against the Colonials.

“Being able to play a George Washington who is from our neighborhood is a real challenge for us,” Larranaga said. “They’ve enjoyed more success against us than we have against them.”

This will be the third game of the Patriots’ five-game homestand. They will face CAA foe UNC Wilmington and Loyola (Md.) to finish off the home-game stretch.

“I think the game is for the players and the fans, so we try to schedule that way every year,” Larranaga said. “We try to schedule a very tough non-conference schedule; we know we’re going to have a tough schedule in the conference.”