George Mason Basketball: Ex-Wahoo Jarred Reuter Rescues Pats

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Former Wahoo Jarred Reuter saved the day for the George Mason basketball team on Tuesday night at Eagle Bank Arena.

FAIRFAX, Va. — Despite their tough losses, blown leads, and unmet expectations this season, the George Mason basketball team was favored to beat NC Central by double digits on Tuesday evening. It was a bit surprising, given their rocky start, but Mason is a much bigger program and a team that should handle NC Central quite easily. So when the Eagles started 7-for-7 from the field and held an early 14-4 lead, a thick layer of dread hovered around Eagle Bank Arena. Maybe, most thought, the team was mediocre and not the sleeping giant we hoped for.

Enter Jarred Reuter.

Reuter, having sat out a year since transferring from Virginia, struggled in his first few games with George Mason but saved his coming out party for a good time. Down 14-4, Reuter worked the post like an expert with soft baby hooks, offensive boards, and a beautiful backdoor pass to Ian Boyd. He scored or assisted on Mason’s next four field goals, eventually bringing the home team ahead for the first time with a bucket at the 8:40 mark. By halftime, they were down 32-29 but the momentum had swung and the fog was mostly gone.

When the second half began, Reuter picked up where he left off in the first half. He scored three times in the first three minutes, the third bringing the score to a 38-38 tie. As Reuter kept scoring, the crowd and team took their engagement to another level; it was like his success was contagious.

Mason, playing the best I’ve seen this season, went from down four to up 13 in about five minutes of action. Their defense was active, the ball moved like an instructional video, and everyone chipped into the 17-0 run.

The will of NC Central was officially busted from that point forward, leaving Mason with a 78-63 win as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

Reuter finished with a career-high 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting in just 22 minutes. Justin Kier (12) and Ian Boyd (11) also had double-digit scoring performances for Mason. Otis Livingston II, normally GMU’s No. 1 option, went scoreless but provided a steady hand at point guard with seven assists.

In the postgame press conference, Reuter admitted to being “winded a little bit” in his first few games back but noted that he’s finally getting his legs back. You can see the entire presser below, courtesy of Giant Killer.

Overall, it was obviously the best game of Reuter’s career at GMU. He looked extremely loose out there for the first time which, he agreed, helps out the rest of his game. The most reassuring takeaway, however, is that Mason put points on the board without leaning on shots from Livingston. If Reuter can get to a place where he can be on the floor more, they’ll have several weapons at their disposal when the conference schedule rolls around.

Mason will now head down south for the Championship Round of the Emerald Coast Classic. On Black Friday, they’ll face a stiff test against Cincinnati at 7:00 P.M ET on CBS Sports Network.