FAIRFAX, Va. (Feb. 20) – In a see-saw game with eight lead changes and five ties, Georgia State led with five minutes to play, but host George Mason made the key plays down the stretch to claim a 60-54 Colonial Athletic Association win Tuesday night in front of 4,567.
The visiting Panthers battled back from a six-point halftime deficit to regain the lead and build a five-point advantage at 45-40 with 10 minutes to go. State led for the next five minutes before Mason mounted its comeback spurred by seven straight points from Jordan Carter. In the final two minutes, State had two different attempts to tie the game but either missed shots or had a turnover. The six-point final margin was the largest lead of the game.
Georgia State (10-18, 5-12) got 16 points from Lance Perique on 7-of-11 shots, while Brandon Cartwright added 13 more points. Mason held a 34-32 rebound advantage, but State held a 20-16 second half bulge. The Panthers made 8-of-15 three-point baskets. Deven Dickerson had six rebounds, five points and four blocks in 27 minutes before fouling out.
George Mason (15-13, 9-8) was led by Carter's 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting with 2-2 treys and Will Thomas added 13 points and eight rebounds, despite 5-of-15 shooting and having three shots blocked.
“It was a hard-fought game and we had our chances to win,” said head coach Michael Perry. “We stepped up our rebounding in the second half and got ourselves back ahead. We played with enthusiasm and effort, but their kid made some plays at the end.”
The game started with each team making a pair of three-point baskets and trading the lead six times. It was tied twice at 11 and 13 with 14:06 when a free throw by Cartwright gave State a 14-13 lead at 11:46. Back-to-back lay-ups by Chris Fleming and Will Thomas put Mason ahead 17-14 at the 10-minute mark. Perique scored to bring State back to within two at 26-24 with 1:45 to play. But, two more lay-ups by Fleming and Thomas gave Mason a 30-24 halftime lead. The key stat in the first half was 10 offensive rebounds by Mason and an 18-12 halftime board advantage. Cartwright scored 10 first half points, including the first eight of the game, to lead State.
Georgia State will return home for Saturday's regular season finale and Senior Day game against first place VCU at 2 p.m. at the Georgia State Sports Arena.
