FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) – Shevon Thompson scored 17 with 12 rebounds, and Jalen Jenkins had 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting to help George Mason beat VCU 76-69 Wednesday night.
Marquise Moore added 15 points with eight rebounds and Otis Livingston scored 11 for George Mason, which had lost two games in a row and nine of its last 11.
Moore scored five during a 13-4 run that gave the Patriots (10-18, 4-11 Atlantic 10) a 71-64 lead with 58 seconds left.
George Mason made just 5 of 10 free throws from there, but held off VCU (20-8, 12-3), which had beaten George Mason six straight times.
Melvin Johnson hit 4 of 9 from 3-point range and finished with 24 points to lead the Rams. He took over sole possession of first place on the school’s career list for made 3s with 279.
George Mason shot 50 percent (26 of 52) from the field.
The following is additional information directly from VCU:
JOHNSON SETS MARK, BUT RAMS EDGED AT GEORGE MASON
Score: George Mason 76, VCU 69
Location: Fairfax, Va. (EagleBank Arena)
Records: VCU 20-8 (12-3 A-10), George Mason 10-18 (4-11)
The short story: Senior Melvin Johnson became VCU’s career leader in 3-pointers and scored a game-high 24 points, but the Rams dropped a 76-69 decision Wednesday in Fairfax, Virginia.
THE DIFFERENCE
A bucket by Jordan Burgess gave VCU a 60-58 lead with 4:50 remaining, but George Mason scored the next seven points, including three by Otis Livingston, to push ahead 65-60 with 2:46 remaining.
A Justin Tillman dunk with 1:50 left pulled VCU within three, but Mason’s Marquise Moore buried a baseline jumper on the Patriots’ next possession. A fruitless possession for the Rams followed, and VCU was forced to begin fouling with less than a minute remaining.
The Patriots knocked down 7-of-8 at the line in the game’s final minute.
The Rams trailed by as many as nine points, at 44-35, with 16:35 remaining. But a short time later, back-to-back layup by Korey Billbury sparked a 12-2 VCU run that gave the Rams a 51-49 advantage with 12:02 left. The teams would remain within three points of each other for the next 10 minutes.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Johnson, who entered the game tied with B.A. Walker atop the Rams’ career 3-pointers list with 269, swished his second attempt of the night, at the 15:46 mark, to claim the record. He finished the night 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Shevon Thompson spurred Mason Wednesday. He scored 17 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots. Moore added 15 points and eight boards for the Patriots.
Billbury finished with 13 points for VCU, while sophomore Justin Tillman kicked in six points and 13 rebounds. Mo Alie-Cox blocked five shots.
NOTABLE
Walker starred at VCU from 2003-07. When he graduated, his 269 treys were 87 more than any Ram before him.
Johnson also moved past Gerald Henderson and Nick George and into 11th on VCU’s career scoring list with 1,547 points. He needs three to vault Monty Knight and crack VCU’s top 10.
Johnson’s 98 threes this season are the second-most in school single-season history.
VCU is 35-19 all-time against George Mason. The Patriots’ win snapped a streak of six consecutive VCU victories in the series.
UP NEXT
VCU will visit George Washington on Saturday, Feb. 27 at the Smith Center in Washington, D.C. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
