Mason Beats Cornell in a Track Meet

By
Joseph Szymanski
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By Palmer Johnson

Mason beats Cornell to the tune of 90-83. This was a fun one.

Mason got punched in the mouth, but hit back harder. Cornell shot 14/29 from three, 48.3%, but the Patriots did everything else so much better that it didn’t end up mattering. Skinn has shown a lot of promise in his first three games as head coach, and winning a game where his opponent shoots that high in volume and efficiency from three is absolutely nuts.

I was very encouraged by the extended run Mason went on early in the second half. That shows me how well the staff can adjust. Great staffs do this. I also enjoyed Mason putting two point guards in most of their lineups, that made me feel so much better when Cornell pressed and trapped.

Cornell was a great scheduling choice. It gave Mason a chance to play against something weird, something that they might have to play against in a postseason tournament.

The player of the game, as everybody knows, is Keyshawn Hall. The ByGeorge/GiantKiller Twitter space that occurs about half an hour after every game was in unanimous agreement as well.

Keyshawn Hall ended the night with 29 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 40 minutes, leading the team in all of those stats. A complete game from Keyshawn Hall was not on my bingo card. This dude has truly bought into what the team is selling, which is proven by Skinn saying he is either first or second in “vitamin minutes” every week, which are minutes put in outside of practice hours. This guy might have a future in the NBA. Board man gets paid.

Okojie continues to show that he is ready for whatever the college game can throw at him. If he was a normal freshman point guard, Mason would have had to take him out. But our guy is not normal. Along with handling the press, Baraka showed he can get to the free throw line very often. At the end of the season, his raw field goal percentage might look unimpressive, but if you take into account his fouls drawn, his offensive value will truly be shown.

Sooo… is this the new normal for Amari Kelly? The grad. transfer continues to play great defense and takes everything the defense gives him, plus some more. He has scored, 17, 14, and 17 points in his first three games as a Patriot, with 17 being his career high. This guy can really do everything you ask of him, as long as he stays out of foul trouble. 17 points in 20 minutes is really nuts compared to what he’s been in his career. Another big plus, the former Duquesne and UNC Wilmington player shot 60.7% from the line in his first four seasons, but has hit 12 of his 13 free throws so far this season, giving him a 92.3% free throw percentage. While I do not expect him to continue shooting above 90% from the line, it is very encouraging that he has a stretch like this in him.

Ronny Polite had a solid game. Outside of one rough stretch, he handled the press very well. Along with running the offense, he hit a couple of HUGE shots. There’s a reason he’s developed a nickname.

Woody Newton played some minutes as the small-ball 5, and went 1/1 from the field with a very normal three.

Captain Malik Henry did what he does best; play defense, rebound, and make a couple plays that make the crowd erupt.

Shoutout to Jared Billups, he doesn’t put a lot on the stat sheet, but you watch the game and see how much of a beast this guy is. The Siena transfer is going to play elite defense, HUSTLE, and draw fouls.

Let’s not forget about Mad Dog, Auto-Maddox, AM-13. Darius Maddox hit one of the biggest shots of the game. You can go 3-10 in a game if you hit that shot. Nobody will complain. He is one of the best players I have seen handling grenades. Give him the ball with five seconds left? Something great might happen.

Tony Skinn’s defense continued their dominance inside the arc. Mason opponents are shooting 36.9% from two this season, which lands them at sixth in the country. That is awesome.

Mason Nation. You need to show up. Students, it is not on you. A decent amount of you show up, and those that are there are truly into the game (look at the thumbnail). But having less than 3000 fans in attendance for such a great game should not be happening. Bring friends and family to games, get more butts in seats. Mason Nation can do better.

Mason stays 3-0, Skinn stays undefeated. Next up, Charlotte, in Jacksonville.

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