FAIRFAX, Virginia — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team fell victim to a late George Mason run in its game on Tuesday evening, falling to the Patriots 67-54.
The Patriots opened the game with a 10-0 run before Kohen Thompson nailed a three-pointer with 15:20 to go in the opening half. Thompson's bucket was the first of what became an 8-2 run over the next few minutes of action, with Tuka Nugent and Dionte Johnson knocking down shots to cut into the lead.
George Mason scored to end the Hawk stretch, but UMES responded with seven straight points including baskets from Troy Hupstead and Kevon Voyles to take a 15-14 advantage with 10:36 on the first half clock.
"We got out to a slow start, but we showed incredible fight in coming back and eventually taking the lead," head coach Jason Crafton said. "I was proud of the effort."
The hosts retook the lead, but the sides battled over the next few minutes and kept the margin from growing beyond seven. Leading 30-23 with just over three minutes to play in the first half, the Hawks pieced together an 8-2 run to close the half trailing by just one point, 32-31.
The opening of the second half narrowly favored the Patriots. The Patriots built a five point lead in the first 4:26 of the period, but UMES responded immediately with threes from Zion Styles and Nugent to take their second lead of the contest, 39-38, less than 60 seconds later.
A pair of trips to the stripe gave the Hawks a three point cushion with 12:21 remaining, but George Mason returned serve with an 8-0 run to reclaim a 48-43 advantage. Five straight from UMES evened the contest, but back-to-back scores set the score at 52-48 with 6:51 to go.
Voyles made a quick shot to slice the margin to two, but George Mason held the Hawks off the board while embarking on a 15-0 run spanning nearly four minutes to take control of the game. Toby Nnadozie scored two buckets in the final minutes to set the final score.
Voyles finished with a team-high 12 points while making two threes and grabbing three rebounds. Nugent finished in double-digits off the bench for the second time this season, scoring 10 with four rebounds and a team-high four assists. Hupstead finished with 9 points and four rebounds on the night.
"Mason is such a physical team and we needed to finish them off in the final 10 minutes," Crafton said. "I thought Troy Hupstead and Tuka Nugent's performances off the bench were huge for us as foul trouble really hurt us all game."
The Hawks will look for a good recovery day tomorrow before heading out for their third-straight road matchup, this time against #15 Duke University on Saturday, December 10. Tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. from Cameron Indoor Stadium, with game coverage on the ACC Network.
