BY NATALIE HEAVREN, SPORTS EDITOR
Mason fell to 16-14 overall and 10-7 in Atlantic 10 play Tuesday night after losing 71-36 to Virginia Commonwealth University. This was the fewest points the Patriots have scored since 2001.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
- Playing both ends of the floor is critical
Mason allowed just 18 points in the first 18 minutes of the game, and went on to allow 10 points in the two minutes before halftime and 53 total points in the last 22 minutes of the game.
After trailing 28-21 at halftime, Mason pulled within five in the first two and a half minutes of the second half. However, they failed to score for nearly eight and a half minutes after going 0-8 from the floor and 0-3 from the free throw line during that time. VCU used Mason’s scoring drought to go on a 23-0 run and extend their lead to 28 points.
2. Turning turnovers into points is necessary
For the second game in a row, the Patriots struggled to turn their opponent’s turnovers into points.
Just one game after turning 12 Saint Louis turnovers into six points, Mason scored just seven points off VCU’s 13 turnovers.
3. Otis Livingston II’s career will not be defined by this game
“Every game is the best memory,” said Otis Livingston II after he was asked what his best memory of playing in EagleBank Arena was. “It was truly a blessing to be here.”
However, Senior Night did not go the way many Mason fans may have wanted. Livingston scored just two points and had just one assist in 25 minutes after injuring his ankle. These numbers are much lower than his season averages of 13.1 points and 4.2 assists in 33.2 minutes per game.
Livingston leads the country with 129 consecutive starts, is fourth on Mason’s career scoring list and second in career assists.
Mason finishes their regular season at George Washington University on March 9 at 2 p.m. before heading to the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
