Matadors Fall in OT at George Mason

FAIRFAX, Va.---CSUN Men's Basketball (1-2) led for most of Saturday's contest at George Mason, but the Matadors would fall in overtime to the Patriots, 78-73 at EagleBank Arena. Tavrion Dawson scored 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots while Washington D.C. native Micheal Warren posted 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Leading for over 30 minutes in the contest, CSUN was unable to close out the Patriots down the stretch in the second game of the Cancun Challenge.

The Matadors shot 52.9 percent from the field in the first half but finished shooting 11-of-34 (32.3) after halftime for a 42.6 clip for the night. CSUN also shot 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from the 3-point line and 61.5 percent from the free throw line. In contrast, George Mason shot 41.0 percent for the game, however the Patriots earned their way to the line with regularity as they finished 19-of-20 (95.0 percent). George Mason also led the rebounding department 45-34 and collected 11 blocks to the Matadors' four.

"In the end, players make plays," said head coach Reggie Theus. "We missed four free throws down the stretch of the game and we shot 61 percent from the free throw line. That's not who we are. [George Mason] missed one free throw for the whole game. They deserved to win because of that.

"We are a young team and I thought down the stretch we made some young team mistakes," continued Theus. "I'm proud of the guys for their effort on the road. They have to go through games like this in order to get better. Like I told the guys, accept your faults first. If you accept your faults and what you didn't do tonight then we can get better as a team."

The Patriots registered the game's first run (8-2) in the opening minutes of the contest to steak to a 15-9 lead, prompting Theus to use a timeout. From there, the Matadors would respond with a 9-2 run of their own to go in front 18-17. Shreiner had a 3-point play and forced a turnover in the stretch while Carl Brown and Zeno Lake scored in the paint.

Warren, who hit four 3-pointers in the contest, hit back-to-back shots from downtown to give CSUN a 24-19 lead at the 8:08 mark of the first half. The Matadors would later extend their lead to double digits following a 3-pointer from Anthony Swan.

The Patriots rallied to cut into the CSUN lead before halftime but would not be able to get closer than four. Dawson helped the Matadors maintain their lead by scoring eight of his team's last 12 points. The Matadors went into the half leading 41-35.

Dawson nailed the Matadors' first jumper of the second half and CSUN continued keep the Patriots at bay throughout the early stages of the period. Gomez hit a 3-pointer from near NBA range deep into the shot clock to put the Matadors ahead 48-39. After Otis Livingston connected on a 3-pointer, the Matadors scored five-straight points thanks to consecutive jumpers from Dawson and Warren to go ahead by their biggest margin of 53-42 with 13:44 left to play.

Ahead by 11, the Matadors would go scoreless, giving the Patriots an opportunity to close the gap. A 9-0 George Mason run cut the CSUN lead to 53-51.

Warren finally ended a four-minute dry spell on a 3-pointer and then Dawson followed with two made free throws to push the lead back to 58-51. However, George Mason matched that run with a 8-0 run capped off by an old fashioned 3-point play from Livingston that gave the Patriots the lead. The Matadors took the lead back on another 3-pointer from Warren at 63-62 and they would later lead by three after a put back layup from Lake.

Shreiner gave the Matadors a 66-64 advantage after going 1-for-2 at the free throw line with 1:32 remaining. The score would remain the same until a late drive from Goanar Mar that squared the game with 14 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Dawson missed a 3-pointer with four seconds remaining, which sent the game into overtime.

In the extra session, the Patriots took control and built a a 74-68 lead after a dunk from AJ Wilson. With just over 2:00 to play, CSUN battled back, and behind baskets from Warren and Dawson, the deficit was trimmed to 74-73 with 51 seconds remaining. From there, George Mason earned its way to the line and went ahead 75-72 giving CSUN one last shot. On the next possession, Shreiner drove to the basket but came up empty giving the Patriots an opportunity to ice the game at the free throw line.

Dawson recorded a career high with 11 field goals made and 42 minutes played while he tied personal bests in blocks (3) and steals (3). Warren also tied a career-high with his four 3-pointers.

The Matadors now head to Cancun to compete twice during Thanksgiving week. CSUN faces Southeast Missouri State to kick off the two-day stretch on Tuesday at 12 p.m. (PT).

Matadors Fall in OT at George Mason

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Team Stats

Tavrion Dawson

Micheal Warren

Terrell Gomez

Zeno Lake

Players Mentioned

Carl Brown

Tavrion Dawson

Zeno Lake

Anthony Swan

Micheal Warren