GMU takes road win at East Carolina

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Louis Birdsong and freshman point guard Andre Cornelius led the George Mason men’s basketball team on a late run at East Carolina Saturday afternoon and thanks to improved shooting on the road, the Patriots earned a 77-71 win over the Pirates.

Birdsong and Cornelius each scored team-high 19 points and Cornelius made five of seven 3-point attempts. The first-year player from Charlotte, N.C. added two assists and four rebounds in his 23 minutes played.

Sophomore guard Cam Long also contributed, scoring a season-high 10 points in addition to collecting eight rebounds and recording six assists. Dre Smith, a senior guard, scored 12 points, hitting two of his eight attempts from behind the arc.

Red shirt senior Darryl Monroe chipped in nine ponts and nine rebounds, nearly adding his second double-double of the year.

George Mason’s offense was much improved since shooting just 33.3 percent from the field in a 50-44 losing effort at Hampton Thursday. Against ECU, Mason made 44.4 percent of its shots and converted 11 of 24 3-point tries.

Cornelius’ key performance is the third from a George Mason freshman this year after Ryan Pearson and Michael Morrison each posting double-digit scoring nights.

Pearson was named Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week after recording 13 points and six rebounds in the Patriots’ first game at Vermont and Morrison scored 15 points in 12 minutes against Brown Tuesday at home.

George Mason returns home Tuesday, Nov. 25 to face Mount St. Mary’s at 7 p.m.

The game will be televised on MASN and can be heard on the radio at 570-AM.

After the Mount St. Mary’s game, GMU will play host to Ohio on Nov. 29, before hitting the road for a two-game swing.

The Patriots will visit Liberty on Dec. 1, and Drexel on Dec. 6.