HARRISONBURG, Va. — In a competitive match-up on Friday night, Jalen Haynes led George Mason to a narrow 66-61 victory against James Madison by scoring 20 points.
Haynes not only showcased his scoring ability but also grabbed eight rebounds for the Patriots, improving their record to 5-3. K.D. Johnson contributed significantly to the win with 14 points, hitting 4 of 7 shots from the field, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, and was perfect from the free-throw line, finishing 4 for 5. Additionally, he secured five rebounds. Darius Maddox played a key role as well, scoring 13 points with a shooting performance of 4 for 7, although he struggled with his three-point shooting, finishing 0 for 3. He was perfect from the charity stripe as well, going 5 for 5, and contributed three steals.
On the other side, Bryce Lindsay led the scoring for the Dukes with 19 points. Mark Freeman supported the team’s efforts with 11 points and dished out four assists. Elijah Hutchins-Everett also made his presence felt by recording 10 points and pulling down six rebounds.
In the first half, Haynes was instrumental, scoring nine of his points, allowing George Mason to take a slim 26-24 lead at the break. The Patriots managed to seize control of the game in the second half, starting with a decisive 7-0 run that broke a tie at 28-28 and propelled them ahead 35-28 with 16:05 left to play. Johnson was particularly effective in the second half, contributing 12 points to help seal the win for George Mason.