RICHMOND, Va. — Darius Maddox powered George Mason to a 64-60 victory over Richmond on Saturday night, securing the Patriots a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season championship.
George Mason finished with a record of 24-7 overall and 15-3 in the conference, tying for the top spot with VCU. However, VCU claimed the number one seed due to their decisive 70-54 win at George Mason earlier in the season. As a result of their performance, George Mason will receive two byes and will not compete again until the quarterfinals on Friday, set to take place at Capital One Arena in Washington. Meanwhile, the Spiders, with a record of 10-21 and 5-13 in conference play, placed 13th and will face the 12th-seeded Davidson in the first round on Wednesday.
Maddox made a significant impact for George Mason, shooting 5 of 9 overall and hitting 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, while also converting 3 of 4 free throws. Jalen Haynes contributed 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Brayden O’Connor added nine points to the board.
For Richmond, B. Artis White led the charge with 16 points and delivered four assists. Both Mike Walz and Collin Tanner scored 10 points each, with Walz also securing six rebounds.
Despite trailing 32-24 at halftime after O’Connor scored six in the first half, Maddox spearheaded a comeback for George Mason by dropping in 15 points in the second half, ensuring their share of the title.
