Terriers Travel to George Mason Saturday Afternoon
November 23, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2012
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Terriers announce early signee for 2013-14 season
BOSTON - In the first meeting between the two programs since 1985, the Boston University men's basketball team will visit George Mason on Saturday afternoon with action slated to begin at 4 p.m.
The Terriers (0-4) and Patriots (3-2) will face off for the first time since Tony DaCosta ('86) hit a 30-foot buzzer beater that lifted BU past George Mason, 71-69, on the road. They are even at 2-2 with all four contests taking place between 1981-85.
BU will try to copy last year's team that overcame a season-opening four-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak, which started on the road at Rhode Island and followed with wins against the Patriots' fellow CAA members Hofstra and Delaware.
On the road for the fourth time early in the season, BU has already been burned by a buzzer beater this season. Another CAA member, Northeastern hit a 3-pointer to edge the Terriers, 65-64. Junior D.J. Irving and freshman Maurice Watson Jr. hit one each at Rutgers in the first and second half, respectively, but the Scarlet Knights came out ahead, 81-79, in another tightly-contested game.
Without a single three-year letterman, the youthful Terriers have seen the freshman class become valuable contributors. Watson had his best performance yet against the Big East with a season-high 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds, while classmate John Papale continued his hot shooting from behind the arc with four 3-pointers on nine attempts.
Currently 14-of-28 (.500) in 3-point territory, the sharpshooter is averaging 3.5 made 3-pointers per game and is on pace to smash the freshman record of 70 treys set by Paul Seymour back in 2000. Papale is second in scoring at 11.8 ppg with junior D.J. Irving continuing to lead the team offensively at 18.0 ppg after he tallied a career-high 24 points against Rutgers.
On the defensive end, sophomore Malik Thomas has recorded 19 rebounds in the last two games and is averaging a team-high 7.3 rpg. He's also recorded six of the Terriers' 10 blocks this season. Juniors Dom Morris and Travis Robinson are tied for second at 4.3 rpg with Robinson adding a team-high seven steals.
George Mason enters with a 3-2 record following a third-place performance at the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. The Patriots opened the season with a 63-59 home win against Virginia and picked up other wins against Mercer (52-49) and Quinnipiac (74-58). They are only eight points away from being perfect after dropping a 61-56 decision at Bucknell and 70-69 contest to New Mexico.
Guard Sherrod Wright leads George Mason in scoring at 16.2 ppg while 6-foot-8 forward Johnny Williams is second at 10.2 ppg. Williams is also averaging a team-high 5.8 rpg. The Patriots are shooting 46.5 percent from the field and are holding opponents to 39.6 percent.
Finishing with an RPI of 84 last season, George Mason is led by second-year head coach Paul Hewitt, who guided then-No. 21 Georgia Tech to an 85-67 victory against BU at the 2009 Puerto Rico Tip-Off. He helped the Yellow Jackets reach the Final Four in 2004 before George Mason reached the Final Four in 2006.
After the contest, the Terriers will return to Case Gym to host the Big South's Coastal Carolina on Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m.
