NCAA
Saint Louis 89, George Mason 85 (OT)
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
FAIRFAX, Va. — Point guard Jordair Jett scored all but one of his 25 points after halftime, and forward Rob Loe hit two 3-pointers in overtime as No. 10 Saint Louis escaped George Mason with an 89-85 victory Wednesday night at Patriot Center.
In extending its school-record winning streak to 18 games, Saint Louis (24-2, 11-0 Atlantic 10) also got 16 points from guard Mike McCall Jr. He hit two free throws with one second left in overtime. Forward Jake Barrett contributed 14 points as the Billikens improved to 11-0 in true road games.
It has been a frustrating season of narrow defeats and unrealized expectations for George Mason (9-17, 2-10). Wednesday was more of the same despite brilliant work from guard Sherrod Wright, who scored 13 of his career-high 34 points in the final 4:34 of regulation. George Mason suffered another overtime defeat to Saint Louis on Feb. 1, falling 87-81.
George Mason led by seven points early in the second half, but Jett responded. The senior scored 15 points in less than nine minutes as Saint Louis battled back. When Jett hit one of two free throws with 0.5 seconds left, the game went to overtime.
In the opening 1:47 of the game, McCall hit two 3-pointers. When Loe added another, the Billikens took a 9-2 lead. Saint Louis took care of the ball in the first half, committing just three turnovers. George Mason answered with relentless work on the boards, outrebounding Saint Louis 18-12 in the half to carve into the lead.
Struggling forward Marko Gujanicic has seen his playing time shrink this season, but the sophomore came off the bench and provided a spark with a 3-pointer and two free throws as the Patriots regained the lead. When guard Bryon Allen stole an inbounds pass in the closing seconds of the half and hit a buzzer-beating, 28-foot, 3-pointer, George Mason led 35-32.
Loe and forward Dwayne Evans scored 13 points apiece for the Billikens, who saw all five starters finish in double figures.
Patriots forward Jalen Jenkins scored 16 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
NOTES: Saint Louis returns home on Saturday to play another Washington-area school, George Washington, in the lone regular-season meeting of the teams. … George Mason has a week off before traveling to Richmond.
