Jordan Giles/Fourth Estate
Mason men’s basketball extends win streak to four
BY CHRISTIAN SEGOVIA, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
After wins against James Madison and Ferrum, Mason men’s basketball tallied another win against UNC Asheville 74-52 on Dec. 4. Senior forward Jalen Haynes led the way with 25 points and ten rebounds and shot 12-15 from the field.
On Nov. 29, Haynes helped Mason win against James Madison with 20 points. “Just getting used to playing again, getting myself in better shape each and every game, it’s like playing wild, just like [being] most effective on the court,” Haynes said about being comfortable in his game.
“I would say just patience, patience and trust, and that works both ways,” Head Coach Tony Skinn said about Haynes’ progress. “Once you smell it, you buy into what the coaches are trying to get you to buy into and it’s been good for him.”
When it came to Mason’s big lineup, junior forward Giovanni Emejuru was able to help Haynes with ten points and seven rebounds. “It takes a load off me not trying to get every rebound,” Haynes said about being on the court with Emejuru at the same time.
“I have another big guy that helped me out, and it’s just more physical for us, because, you know, teams don’t want to battle with us that much,” Haynes said.
Mason got off to a slow start against UNC Asheville, turning the ball over 14 times in the first half. In the second half, they turned over the ball four times.
“We knew the way that they junk it up, the way that they play,” Skinn said about the turnovers. “We got the terminology. Be a boss with the ball and we weren’t bosses at all.”
UNC Asheville’s guard Jordan Marsh had 16 points in the first half, shooting 7-10 from the field; however, in the second half, Marsh could not get another point.
“That was on me a little bit. We pressed them and that created offense,” Skinn said of Marsh’s performance in the first half. “I made that adjustment to just kind of fall back in our defense and that took the pressure off us and we didn’t create any offense.”
Mason shot 27-43 (62.8%) from the field and 6-14 (42.9%) from the three-point line. Mason dominated in the paint 42-30.
UNC Asheville shot 20-52 (38.5%) and 4-17 (23.5%) from the three-point line. UNC Asheville benefited from Mason’s turnovers, gaining 26 points from it.
Skinn also announced on Dec. 4 that Austin Ball will redshirt for the 2024-25 season, meaning that he will keep his three seasons of game eligibility and can still practice with the team.
“Last year, Austin Ball was able to play some extended minutes, just because I would say, you know, we didn’t have the exact same death last year,” Coach Skinn said. “The last thing I would want to do, selfishly, is have Austin Ball on my bench and he’s playing one or two minutes.”
Mason will play again on Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. against Tulane at EagleBank Arena. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and student tickets are available through Mason360.
