BY NATALIE HEAVREN SPORTS EDITOR

Mason improved to 3-0 Wednesday night after defeating LIU 80-74. 

Here are three takeaways from the game. 

Need to Share the Ball 

The Patriots have struggled to share the ball throughout the season. Against the Sharks, the Patriots had just 11 assists on 31 made baskets. 

In the first three games, Mason has 41 assists on 86 made field goals. The team has allowed defenses to minimize their passing game, something that will continue to hurt the team as the season goes on. 

Spreading the ball around and keeping offensive plays intact will help the team moving forward. 

Foul Trouble 

Prior to halftime, AJ Wilson, Greg Calixte, Javon Greene and Josh Oduro all had two fouls. This put head coach Dave Paulsen into a difficult position and limited the lineups he could put on the court. 

Wilson and Greene, both starters, played a combined 16 minutes in the first half. 

Mason was able to overcome this to a degree, but still entered halftime tied instead of up by several baskets.

As the season progresses and the team faces tougher opponents it will be critical for the team to try to avoid getting in such serious foul trouble. 

Jordan Miller as a Three-point Shooter

Sophomore Jordan Miller has emerged as a three-point threat. After going 6-18 in 17 games last season and had not attempted a three-pointer in the first two games, Miller exploded against the Sharks, going 3-5 from behind the arc. 

“The coaching staff did a good job of giving [me] confidence and telling me even though I’ve been struggling to keep on shooting. So that was a big key — my teammates told me to shoot and gave me confidence,” said Miller. 

Adding three-point shooting to Miller’s skill set will make him almost impossible to defend, something that may be necessary depending on how long Justin Kier and Bahaïde Haïdara are out. 

Miller finished the game with 25 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals. 

Mason continues their homestand at 7 p.m. Saturday night when they host JMU.