George Mason Basketball: Sights, Sounds, & Notes From First Win

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After three losses to start the season, the George Mason basketball program picked up their first win of the season on Saturday against Southern.

FAIRFAX, Va. — With their team up 66-56 with 37 seconds remaining, the George Mason faithful began the ceremonial “Goodbye” chant to signify victory. At the time, it seemed appropriate but the visiting Southern Jaguars didn’t travel 1,100 miles to go down quietly. Thirty seconds later, Mason’s lead was cut to four at 67-63 and a feeling of dread fell over the fans at Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, VA. Had the Patriots not blown a 20-point third-quarter lead in their last game, things might have been less tense, but they did blow that lead to Georgia Southern and now, it felt like it could happen again.

With seven seconds remaining, however, it came down to free throws.

Mason, still in search of their first win at that point, promptly got a pair of free throws from sophomore Javon Greene to give them some breathing room. Not long after, folks were able to exhale completely; the George Mason basketball team, double-digit favorites coming into the game, secured their first win of the 2018-19 season with a 69-65 win over the winless Jaguars.

Like most George Mason basketball games in recent years, Otis Livingston II led the way with 17 points. Now a senior, Livingston II played a team-high 35 minutes while acting as an extension of head coach Dave Paulsen on the floor. Two other starters, Jaire Grayer (11 points) and Justin Kier (11 points) both scored in double-figures for the Patriots.

NOVEMBER 17th, 2018, FAIRFAX, VA – The George Mason basketball team goes through pregame warm-ups before their game against the Southern Jaguars. (Photo Credit: Casey Pazzalia)

The most impactful player, and it wasn’t really close, was sophomore reserve AJ Wilson. Throughout the game, Wilson had the crowd electrified with his high-energy, leaping ability, and overall effort. Furthermore, two of the biggest pops from the crowd came via plays Wilson made. The first was a highlight-reel rejection in the first half that led to a fast-break bucket, while the second was a breakaway dunk with less than four minutes in regulation. Check out both below:

On a darker note, Wilson was hurt near the end of the game. Hopefully, he doesn’t miss any time because he’s really coming into his own. Wilson nearly notched a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and an astonishing six blocked shots.

It should be noted that Livingston also got the crowd frenzied at the end of the first half with an 18-foot, fadeaway splash at the buzzer. Check it out below:

All tallied up, there were 3,281 fans at Eagle Bank Arena to see GMU’s first victory of the season. Most came to see high-level basketball but I’m certain some made the trek to meet their favorite principal up close.

As part of Saturday’s theme (#MasonLovesThe90s), the university recruited Mr. Belding from Saved By The Bell to show up and meet the people. Though the franchise hasn’t produced an episode in nearly two decades, folks were lined the EBA hallways in droves to snag a selfie or autograph.

Mr. Belding, real name Dennis Haskins, also got on the microphone more than once to address the crowd.

NOVEMBER 17th, 2018, FAIRFAX, VA – Dennis Haskins, known best as Mr. Belding from “Saved By The Bell,” addresses fans at Saturday’s George Mason basketball game. (Photo Credit: Casey Pazzalia)

In my brief interaction with Haskins behind the scenes, he was pleasant and seemed generally happy to be in the building.

On top of Mr. Belding, “The Green Machine” pumped out several notable hits from the 1990s. Some notable renditions included “California Love” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

George Mason, now 1-3 on the season, will host NC Central on Tuesday, November 20th at Eagle Bank Arena. Saturday’s victory, as well as Tuesday’s game, are part of the Emerald Coast Classic. On November 23rd, Mason will have a shot at winning the tournament when they travel to Florida to play in the Championship Round of the event.

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