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Daryl Banks III shoots a 3-pointer at George Mason
Scott Eddy
60
St. Bonaventure SBU 11-6,2-3 Atlantic 10
69
Winner George Mason GMU 14-5,3-3 Atlantic 10
St. Bonaventure SBU
11-6,2-3 Atlantic 10
60
Final
69
George Mason GMU
14-5,3-3 Atlantic 10
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
St. Bonaventure SBU 27 33 60
George Mason GMU 33 36 69

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Scott Eddy, Assistant Athletics Director for Strategic Communications

Rollercoaster Game Goes The Way of George Mason, 69-60

FAIRFAX, Va. – Saturday's game at EagleBank Arena created a rollercoaster of emotions for fans of the St. Bonaventure and George Mason men's basketball teams.

Ultimately, the homestanding Patriots enjoyed the ride most following a 69-60 victory.

Chad Venning led the Bonnies with 17 points along with seven rebounds and Mika Adams-Woods added 14 points.

In the beginning, the ride wasn't pleasant for the Bonnies shot 28 percent during the first half and trailed by double digits.

The start of the second stanza brought just the opposite – Bona roared back with a 21-5 run, doing nearly everything right to seize a five-point lead with 11:52 to play.

Up five with the ball out of a timeout, though, the Patriots forced a Bonnies turnover to start a turning of the tide.

The pendulum then swung back the other way, however, as an 11-0 Patriots run pushed Mason back in front, 58-52, with 3:52 remaining.

Bona remained within striking distance, 62-57, as the clock ticked toward a minute to play, but could not recapture the magic of the second half run earlier as the Patriots held on.

Barry Evans brought energy off the bench again with six points, nine rebounds and two assists.

The Bonnies (11-6, 2-3 A-10) were unable to carry the momentum from shooting the lights out and pouring in 99 points in a win against Rhode Island three nights earlier as they stumbled out of the gate while going just 2-for-16 from the floor over the opening 10 minutes.

While Bona struggled offensively in the early going, the Patriots built a double-digit lead, 20-7.

To make matters worse, both of the field goals in the first half of the opening period came off the hands of Assa Essamvous who was forced to the bench with his second foul at the 9:49 mark.

Bona's clawed back into the game as the lid began to slip from the bucket on the visitor side of the court and a pair of dunks from Evans brought the Bonnies back within five late in the half, though the Patriots would take a 33-27 edge to the break.

The visitors would quickly erase that deficit, but the Patriots were able to respond after being buoyed by 13 points and eight rebounds from Keyshawn Hall and 13 points along with seven boards by Amari Kelly.

George Mason improved to 14-5 overall and 3-3 in A-10 play with the win.

GAME NOTES
  • The Bonnies ended up shooting the ball at a 36 percent clip overall after improving to 44 percent during the second half. George Mason connected on 47 percent of its shots and won the battle of the boards, 34-31.
  • Both teams made seven 3-pointers apiece while the Bonnies went 11-12 at the foul line and Mason finished 16-23.
  • Moses Flowers (8 points) joined the starting lineup for the second consecutive game with Daryl Banks III coming off the bench in a sixth man role.
  • Mason improved to 10-1 at home this season and has won 24 of its last 27 games inside EagleBank Arena.
  • Evans was one of his career high of nine rebounds.
 
UP NEXT
St. Bonaventure heads right back out on the road to face regional rival Duquesne Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Steel City.

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For the latest news on St. Bonaventure athletics, stay connected on social media. Follow the Bonnies on X @GoBonnies and get men's basketball updates @BonniesMBB. Keep up with the Bonnies on Facebook /GoBonnies and on Instagram @GoBonnies
 
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