George Mason Wins Finale, Completes Sweep of George Washington

| Posted on |

George Mason beat rival George Washington 81-65 on Saturday in their season finale.

For the first time since joining the A-10 in 2014, the George Mason Patriots swept George Washington in their season series. First, they beat the Colonials in Fairfax at the end of January, then on Saturday, they wrapped up their season with a convincing 81-65 win on the road at the Charles E. Smith Center.

The victory, their first ever at Charles E. Smith Center, was never out of question after getting out to a blazing start in the opening minutes. By halftime, Mason led 42-26 and then kept pace all the way until the final buzzer sounded.

Coming into the game on a two-game losing streak, George Mason head coach Dave Paulsen shook things up to start their finale against GW. Rather than starting Jarred Reuter, who is nursing an injury, according to The Athletic’s Patrick Stephens, Paulsen opted for Greg Calixte at center alongside the regular gang — Jordan Miller, Otis Livingston II, Javon Greene, and Justin Kier.

Before today, Reuter started all 30 games for George Mason. He did, however, play four minutes against GW. On the flip side, the start for Calixte was his first of the season.

Without Reuter, the pressure was on Mason’s playmakers to keep the offense fluid. And with a lot to prove after their embarrassing performance this past Tuesday against VCU (36 points total), they answered the call with 81 points on 53.5 percent shooting (30-for-56).

Four players scored in double figures for Mason, led by a career-high 17 points from freshman Jordan Miller, a Loudoun County native. Otis Livingston II added 14, while Justin Kier and Javon Greene each chipped in 13 of their own.

Miller, it should be noted, was perfect on Saturday; he made all five of his two-point shots, all four of his free throws, and he also hit his only three-point field goal attempt.

Besides Kier, Mason’s starting five was 14-for-15 from inside the three-point line.

With the win, Mason finished their 2018-19 season with a 17-14 overall record and an 11-7 conference record. Now, they’ll have a first-round bye in the Atlantic 10 Tournament as either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed.

George Washington shot just 12.5 percent (2-for-16) from deep against Mason, finishing their season with an 8-23 overall record and 4-14 conference record. They’ll play on the opening day of the A-10 Tournament as the No. 12 seed against No. 13 UMass.

Their final seed will be determined after Saturday night’s Dayton-Duquesne game.