Sherod’s Heroics Not Enough in 79-75 Loss to George Mason

Saturday, February 3

Robins Center

4:30 PM

University of Richmond

8-14 (6-4)

George Mason

10-13 (4-6)

MASON

Richmond

Sherod’s Heroics Not Enough in 79-75 Loss to George Mason

02/03/2018 | Men's Basketball

Box Score COACH MOONEY POSTGAME

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond men's basketball team saw its winning streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon at the Robins Center, falling in a nail-biter to visiting George Mason, 79-75.

After nearly a week off from competition, the Spiders kept it close with the Patriots through the first half of play, but George Mason used a hot second half shooting performance and late-game free throws to solidify the win after a vicious Spider comeback.

"I thought we handled ourselves great at the end and gave ourselves a chance to win," head coach Chris Mooney said. "I'm really proud of our effort, but I thought the whole game felt a little rushed. It took us some time to settle down, but I'm proud of how we came back at the end."

Nick Sherod led the way for the Spiders, scoring a career-high 32 points – the most by a Spider this season – and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds.

"Nick was great," Mooney said. "The last three games have been the best of his career, and he's a very good and versatile all-around player. This season has sped up the expectations for him, and I think we can all see what a great player he can be."

Grant Golden also finished the day with a double-double, scoring 10 and grabbing 10 rebounds. It was the first time since January 13, 2010 that a pair of Spiders recorded double-doubles. Freshman Jacob Gilyard added 11 points for the Spiders while logging his 58^th steal of the season, besting De'Monte Buckingham's freshman record of 56 set last season.

The game against the Patriots also saw the Spiders start three freshmen for the first time in over a decade when Richmond faced Fordham on March, 7, 2007.

The two squads got off to a slow start, entering the first media timeout tied at 4-4 before Sherod sparked an 8-4 Spiders run to force a George Mason timeout.

The Patriots were able to pull to within two midway through the opening half, but the Spiders forced four turnovers and shot 3-for-3 from the floor over the next two and a half minutes to take a 22-15 lead.

Following a timeout, the Patriots went on a run, using the momentum shift to tie the game at 26-26. Sherod would respond with a three-point play to retake the lead for Richmond, but George Mason scored five straight to take control and enter the break with a 35-31 advantage.

The Patriots continued their strong offensive pressure into the second half, going on a 7-0 run to take a 45-36 lead with 15:44 remaining.

Despite another three-point play by Sherod to cut the Patriot lead to six, George Mason used another run to expand its lead to 15 with just under 12 minutes to play.

The Spiders didn't hold back despite the deficit, battling their way back into the game in the final minutes of play and cutting the Patriot lead to two with 36 seconds left. The late-game heroics would not be enough for the home team, as the Spiders dropped their first A-10 game in nearly a month.

Richmond returns to action on Wednesday, February 7, when they host crosstown rival VCU in the second half of the Lumber Liquidators Capital City Classic. Tipoff in the Robins Center is set for 9 p.m. and the game can be seen on CBS Sports Network.