Second-Half Spurt Pushes George Mason Past Toledo, 86-77

Saturday, December 2

Toledo, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

3-4,0-0MAC

George Mason

7-1,0-0Atlantic 10

George Mason

Toledo

Junior Dante Maddox Jr. scored a career-high 25 points in Toledo's loss to George Mason.

Photo by: Bree Bee

Second-Half Spurt Pushes George Mason Past Toledo, 86-77

12/2/2023 10:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Final Stats (PDF)

Junior Dante Maddox Jr. leads Rockets with career-high 25 points

TOLEDO, Ohio – Junior Dante Maddox Jr. scored a career-high 25 points, but the Toledo men's basketball team ended up on the short end of an 86-77 decision to Atlantic 10 foe George Mason (7-1) on Saturday night in Savage Arena.

Joining Maddox in double digits for the Rockets (3-4) were junior Ra'Heim Moss and redshirt freshman Javan Simmons with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Junior Tyler Cochran contributed nine points along with a team-high nine rebounds and three steals. Simmons also blocked a season-high five shots.

Graduate transfer Amari Kelly registered a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Patriots. Kelly, who was 8-of-10 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range, helped GMU shoot 51.7% from the field and 53.3% from three-point range. The Rockets registered a 42.9 shooting mark and shot 38.5% (5-of-13) from behind the arc.

After trailing by a 40-35 margin at halftime, Toledo rallied to take a 46-45 lead less than four minutes into the second half. George Mason regrouped though and used an 8-1 spurt midway through the half to take a double-digit lead that proved to be too much for the Rockets to overcome.

"I'm disappointed with this loss against a very good Atlantic 10 opponent," Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "We had a great run to take the lead early in the second half, but as soon as we did that we went through a stretch where we didn't play very smart. Basketball is a game of spurts and when the other team is on a run you have to buckle down and get a good shot and not turn the ball over. That was what really hurt us tonight."

Toledo returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 6 when it travels to Rochester, Mich. to face Oakland. Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m. with streaming on ESPN+.

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST HALF

Toledo scored the game's first five points on a Tyler Cochran jumper and Dante Maddox Jr. three-pointer.
The Rockets maintained their advantage until Ronald Polite III hit a triple to give GMU a 13-11 lead with 13:44 left in the half.
The Patriots extended their lead to 17-13 but Maddox and Bryce Ford buried back-to-back triple to put UT back in front 19-17 just over four minutes later.
George Mason gained some breathing room with a quick 7-2 spurt to take a 40-31 lead 1:44 before halftime.
Baskets from Javan Simmons and Maddox to end the half reduced the Patriots' advantage at intermission to 40-35.

SECOND HALF

Toledo rallied in the early stages of the second half, and Ra'Heim Moss' layup put the Rockets in front, 46-45, at the 16:39 mark.
The Patriots then took control with an 8-1 spurt to lead by a 66-54 margin with 9:47 to play.
Toledo climbed within six points, 74-68, with 3:30 remaining on Sonny Wilson's layup.
The Rockets kept the pressure on and Moss' free throw a minute later made it a five-point contest, 76-71, but that was as close as UT could get.