GiantKiller and By George have a ton of video content dropping shortly, but if that’s not your thing I wanted to put some thoughts down on paper about Mason 81, VCU 80 at the Siegel Center. We only get the chance to bask in the glow of awesome games a few times per season and I’m not going to let this opportunity slip by. Per usual these are going to just be a bunch of random thoughts that don’t necessarily have anything to do with each other, so buckle up.
- Lots of credit goes to Mar, Greg Calixte, AJ Wilson, and a smattering of our bigger guards for battling Justin Tillman and Khris Lane, VCU’s senior bigs who lit up the first game. Tonight, Tillman was an uncharacteristic 3-10 from the floor and had only 10 points, while Lane added 13 points but only three rebounds. Lane played only 5 minutes in the second half despite not being in foul trouble and despite the fact he went bananas in the first game. He came off the floor and VCU went on a run, and it looks like Mike Rhoades didn’t put him back in.
- Mason’s gameplan was to swarm the paint and make VCU shoot from outside, where they haven’t been strong. It looked like it was going south for a while when VCU heated up in the second half, but ultimately they only shot 13-33 from deep, which is good but not great. They were only 15-32 inside the arc and you’ll take that tradeoff all day long. Hat tip to Paulsen and the players for executing a very solid gameplan.
- Towards the end of year three, the Dave Paulsen/Otis Livingston era at Mason is defined by an absurd degree of mental toughness. This team led by 15 at one point in the first half and trailed by 11 in the second half. They weren’t phased by the swing and kept battling back even after I had written them off multiple times. VCU went up 75-64 with 5:15 left in the game, and Mason immediately responded with an Otis Livingston 3 pointer, a stop, and two Otis Livingston free throws to quickly bring the deficit back to 6. VCU then hit what looked like a backbreaking three, and Mason responded with consecutive threes to make it a three point game. This team just battles no matter the situation, and that’s the best kind of team to watch.
- Under the radar play: the trap Jaire and Otis laid on De’Riante Jenkins to force a turnover with 17 seconds left. That’s a play that turns out differently 49 out of 50 times. It’s so tough to trap like that without allowing a quick pass, without allowing the man to dribble out, and without fouling. They flustered Jenkins into a turnover to give Mason the final possession.
- Exceptional is becoming the new normal for Otis Livingston II. He won’t get as much publicity as Ian Boyd’s buzzer beaters, but VCU couldn’t contain him. He put up 26 points, 5 assists, and added 4 steals, but looking at the box score doesn’t tell you how much of the creative burden he bears for this offense. With Justin Kier struggling tonight, Otis handled the ball every possession in the second half and played all 20 minutes. He’s an absolute workhorse and he’s having a special season.
- Goanar Mar took 1 shot against La Salle. In the three games since then he’s taken 14 shots, 14 shots, and 12 shots. You know the coaching staff was in his ear about being more aggressive after La Salle and Mason is 3-0 as a result. Tonight he was a hyperefficient 8-12 from the floor, 4-6 from three, and 6-8 from the free throw line. He added 7 rebounds, but his ability to score is the most important thing for this team that struggles to find consistent offense outside of Otis. Goanar’s career high 26 points were huge in a game where Mason needed every bit of it.
- Otis and Goanar combined for 29 of Mason’s 36 second half points. Grayer added 5 and you can probably guess who had the other 2.
- You’re probably wondering what took so long to get to Ian Boyd – well he led the midnight SportsCenter so you can calm the hell down. That’s what happens when all you do is hit buzzer beaters. Boyd had a solid first half but hadn’t scored in the second half before the tip-in at the buzzer. At this point you have to wonder if he’s becoming self-aware and saving his scoring for the final seconds. Buzzer beaters aside, Boyd’s ability to body up bigger players is a saving grace for this undersized Mason team. 6’4” Ian Boyd was part of the platoon responsible for harassing 6’8” Justin Tillman in the post all game, and he went right over him on the tip-in as well. I hope this buzzer beater streak never ends.
Mason is now in the driver’s seat for fourth place in the A10 tournament, which is huge because the top four seeds get a double-bye. If Mason wins at home against Richmond on Saturday, they’re in. If they lose, they’re at the mercy of other teams in the A10. There is a scenario where five teams finish tied for fourth at 9-9, and Mason does win the tiebreaker in that case. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Go Mason!
