George Mason picked up a win to avoid a three-game home losing streak against Morgan State last night 86-79. They scored 54 points in the second half and shoot over 52% from the field. Justin Kier came up big on the night scoring 22 points, and Jaire Grayer finally gave Mason some three-point scoring going 5-of-7 from there. Morgan State’s best player made his season debut and gave Mason fits scoring 31. The Patriots got the line a lot in this one, rare for this season, and were able to not let turnovers be there undoing. Otis Livingston II, Ian Boyd, and Goanar Mar were collectively 17-18 from the free-throw line proving once again when they get the attempts they can do damage in that area. Mason’s key guys stepped up and made plays and that was something we really wanted to see heading into conference.

Freshman Greg Calixte got his second consecutive start and did well with 20 minutes of action and getting nine points. He’s not afraid to mix up in the front court but you can still see he’s raw. They will continue to need that toughness in A-10 play but they still need him to be a better rebounder and defender.

Three-point shooting is still a concern moving forward. It’s nice to see them offset that last night at the free-throw line but they don’t consistently get there enough to rely on it each night. They need someone besides Grayer to knock down outside shots and keep defenses was packing the paint. Ian Boyd’s shooting struggles are really hurting him but with Calixte taking his place in the starting lineup maybe that will help free up Mar for more opportunities on the outside.

Post game presser: