Experience was the key in College Park and it will be the key in Harrisonburg but for a different reason. The Patriots (4-0) are coming off their biggest win of the infant stage of Kim English’s coaching career. A 71-66 true road win against 20th ranked Maryland.
Tonight, the Patriots will need to show maturity in a quick turnaround game at James Madison (3-0).
JMU leads the CAA in scoring offense (90.7 ppg), scoring defense (57.0 ppg), field goal percentage (.493) and opponent field goal percentage (.348). Junior Jalen Hodge leads the Dukes in scoring (13.0 ppg) and is shooting 53.8 percent from the floor.
George Mason Outside Experience
As much as the Transfer Portal gets criticized (often times unfairly), places like George Mason is thankful to be able to import experienced players in the program. That’s a blessing for first year head coach Kim English.
D’Shawn Schwartz (Colorado), Davonte Gaines (Tennessee) and DeVon Cooper (Morehead State) all transferred to George Mason providing experience to the program.
That experienced translated in Mason’s closest game of the season.
In the first half, Mason started off slow as Maryland jumped out to an early nine point lead.
Mason responded by going on a 17-6 run to give the Patriots their first lead of the game. During that run, the combination of Schwartz, Gaines, and Cooper scored all but two points.
“Ticket Gaines was undefeated at Rupp Arena,” said English. “D’Shawn Schwartz has two wins at Pauley Pavilion. DeVon Cooper scored 20 points against West Virginia in the NCAA tournament.”
Near the end of the half, there was a stretch where Cooper hit a three at the end of the shot clock, drew a charge on Hakim Hart and then got a driving floater off the glass. That turned a 29-27 deficit into a 32-29 lead in a matter of seconds.
Perhaps where the experience showed the most was in the second half.
Early in the half, Mason went up by 10 points but Maryland made a run but that was stemmed by three pointer from Schwartz.
Maryland would score a basket and with the shot clock running down, Oduro misses a three pointer but Gaines battled two Terps for the rebound, got fouled and made two free throws.
Plays like that are game-winning plays.
With under four minutes left and Maryland within three points, Cooper would beat, one of the Terps’ best defenders, Eric Ayala on a straight line drive for a layup. After getting a stop on the next possession, Schwartz hit a three pointer in transition pushing the Patriots lead back up to eight.
With Xavier Johnson in foul trouble, English had the confidence to have both Cooper and Gaines bring the ball up the floor. The experience on versatility of those two players will serve Mason well throughout the season.
If there’s one person their performance at Maryland didn’t shock was head coach Kim English.
“It’s a game we expected to win.”
