George Mason takes down #16 Dayton in Fairfax

It is the program's first home win over a ranked opponent

Tony Skinn picked up his first signature win last night as a head coach with a 71-67 upset of #16 Dayton in Fairfax. The season has been full of ups and downs but it seems certain that Mason has found the right man for the job. It was another great game for freshman PG Baraka Okojie who led Mason with 19 points and went 9-for-9 from the FT line. The Patriots ability to get to the line and connect was a big factor in getting the win and overcoming Dayton’s DaRon Holmes. Keyshawn Hall (17 points) also had some big shots down the stretch.

A well warranted court storm!

In a game of runs Mason had to storm back in the second after they lost their lead. Their advantage on the boards certainly played a big part. The A-10 tournament should be interested as Mason looks poised to have more upsets in their future. Anything can happen with a lot of good teams in this conference but a historic win like this provides a bit more excitement. What Skinn and his coaching staff did bringing together this many new players and having this type of success in Year 1 is pretty remarkable.

While the team has it’s flaws they have shown toughness and grit a lot this team and it definitely played a role last night. It’s unfortunate that they would have to win the A-10 tournament to make the big dance but we could still an exciting end to the season. They obviously have guys that can step up in big moments but they’ll need to keep the #PatriotPressure going and stay tough on the boards to really make some noise in Brooklyn. Excited to see how they follow up this win with a tough game on the road at Loyola Chicago on Saturday.