CHARLESTON, S.C. — George Mason men’s basketball coach Dave Paulsen understands it will take time for the Patriots to become a polished group on offense. Their showing against Ole Miss was a good start.
The Patriots (1-2) won their first game since Paulsen took over last March, outlasting the Rebels 68-62 to open the Charleston Classic on Thursday.
Shevon Thompson had 19 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks to lead the Patriots, who saw their 13-point second-half lead disappear before rallying back.
“We’re a work in progress offensively, so that’s to be expected,” Paulsen said of the late breakdowns. “A couple of the plays our freshmen made the last minute, I think they’re trying to put me in the box. But they bounced back.”
Marquise Moore had the biggest plays down the stretch for George Mason. He hit his only 3-pointer after Ole Miss had come from 52-39 down to tie the game at 56-all.
Moore again came through after George Mason (2-1) closed to 61-60 with 91 seconds left with a driving layup that seemed to catch Ole Miss on its heels.
Thompson’s defense came into play with a block on Sebastian Saiz in the final minute with Ole Miss down just three. The Patriots closed with a 7-1 run.
Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said the 6-foot-11 Thompson was decisive and effective beneath the basket. Thompson made his first six shots before forcing the Rebels to pack down low with more than one defender.
“We allowed Thompson to get to his left hand and he shot over the top of us a couple of times,” Kennedy said. “I thought he was really dominant against us.”
Jaire Grayer had 15 points and Moore 12 for the Patriots. Stefan Moody had 13 of his points in the second half for Ole Miss.
Saiz entered the game with double-doubles in his first two games, but he was 3 of 9 from the field with Thompson underneath.
Ole Miss was looking to open 3-0 for the fourth time in five seasons. But the Rebels started 2 of 10 from the field. Other than Moody, who made 7 of 12, the Rebels’ four other starters combined to go 9 of 35. Sam Finley was 4 of 14, as the Rebels shot 34.8 percent, their lowest showing this season.
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