I did not know what to expect heading into this game, George Mason was hosting a Division III opponent and it’s always tough to really take away much from these types of games. However, with new faces on the court and team’s different approach this season, there’s lots to look at. Mason was down at half time but then erupted for 57 points in the second half come out on top 90-65. The key takeaway is the young group, which was playing down the level of their competition in the first half, fought back and avoided an embarrassing loss. No doubt this game was a teaching moment for head coach Dave Paulsen, can only imagine what he said at half time. Marquise Moore really took over in the second half and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. That second stat is very important because remember the guards are really going to have to make the effort rebounding this year with the team’s overall lack of size.

Here are some key points from last night:

• Seniors continueto carry the team in the second half. Through two games Mason has needed big efforts from either senior Jalen Jenkins (Towson) or Marquise Moore to give the team a lift. Seniors should lead but I would really like to see some of these younger guys step up when the team is down.

• Overall shooting needs to improve. This is still a big concern as the team struggled again from behind the three-point line and at the free-throw line. It’s going to be really difficult for them to win games moving forward if they don’t start taking more advantage of these opportunities. Murrell was the only guy who hit any three-pointers last night and Otis Livingston II is now 2-for-12 on the season from there.

• Balanced scoring attack. A rather nice takeaway from last night was Mason’s balanced scoring which included five players finishing in double figures. Kameron Murrell (15 points) provided a nice lift off the bench. We will need to see more of that kind of shooting this season from him.

• Jaire Grayer is slowly starting to look like one of their most consistent starters. Last year he was streaky at times but so far on the year he’s 10-for-16 from the field and has grabbed 14 rebounds. He’s getting more confident on defense and that will go a long way for them this year.

• Was hoping to see freshmen Ian Boyd and Justin Kier play more minutes in this one but the team being down early didn’t help that cause. This game was obviously scheduled to give the younger players more game time experience but as we saw it didn’t quite work out that way.

• DeAndre Abram and Danny Dixon did not play in this one. In the post game interview (you can watch it here), Paulsen said it was based on their performance in practice. However we did get to see the first appearance of Troy Temara!

Box Score

[Photos by Bill Bride]