Photo Credit: Courtney Ryder | The Breeze
It was a clash of the Commonwealth in Harrisonburg on Friday night as JMU battled with in-state rival George Mason. Both teams entered the game undefeated, but at the final buzzer, only one team kept those bragging rights — JMU, defeating the Patriots 67-64.
The energy inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center was off the charts as the game began. The student sections were filled to capacity with fans turning out to cheer on the Dukes.
“[The fans] made a huge impact,” redshirt junior guard Vado Morse said. “We make big plays to get them involved, you see us getting our arms up — it’s something we couldn’t do last year.”
JMU’s defense was a brick wall in the first half, forcing the Patriots’ lowest field-goal percentage in a half this season at 34%.
“I think it played a huge role in today,” Morse said. “Towards the end of games we like to shut opponents down and that’s kind of what we did these last two games — we’re really a defensive team.”
Offensively, graduate guard Takal Molson led the Dukes in the first half with 12 points — he scored two 3-pointers and went 5-for-8 at the free-throw line. Molson led the team in points and finished the game with a season-high 19 points.
“[Molson] was terrific tonight, I thought Alonzo [Sule] gave us some tremendous energy,” Byington said. “We’re going to the bench sometimes [and] we’re getting better and those guys are coming in and really producing.”
Although GMU didn’t lack scoring opportunities during the first half, the team struggled to convert. The Patriots put up 29 points — led by junior guard Xavier Johnson with nine — and the team went 7-for-20 for 3-pointers and 10-for-29 for field goals.
“The Dukes deserved to win tonight,” GMU head coach Kim English said. “They were the tougher team tonight, [and] they were the aggressor.”
The Patriots came out in the second and gained their first lead of the game, thanks to a 3-pointer from graduate guard D’Shawn Schwartz. Junior guard Davonte Gaines led GMU in points in the second half with 11, followed by Schwartz with seven.
The crowd was electric as the clock ticked down to zero. The score remained mostly tied, and it came down to 3-pointers. A slew of fouls on both teams in the final two minutes of play proved to be the determining factor. Morse sank a 3-pointer and two free throws in the final 30 seconds to make it a two-possession game — Molson finished it off with a set of free throws in the final five seconds.
“Obviously, [Morse] made a huge shot,” Byington said. “He missed a similar shot against Eastern Kentucky, and I love the courage and the fact that he came back and shot this one in this game.”
JMU improves to 4-0, while GMU falls to 4-1. The Dukes travel to Florida for the Naples Invitational on Nov. 22; their first game is at noon. The Patriots travel to Washington to face the Huskies on Nov. 22, tip off is at 9:30 p.m.
Story originally published on The Breeze.
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