Four games into his head coaching career, Kim English made quite a statement as his George Mason team went into #21 Maryland and picked up their first win over the Terps in ten tries. The victory (which came on Nov, 17, 2021) also marked the first victory over a ranked opponent for Mason since 2007.
After trailing 12-3 early, Mason wasn’t rattled. They battled back to take a 32-31 lead at halftime. They ultimately controlled the game throughout, pushing their advantage to double figures before holding on late for a 71-66 win.
Two players that English will bring with him from Mason to Providence played critical roles, as Davonte “Ticket” Gaines finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while center Josh Oduro made a pair of baskets in the final minute of a one possession game.
The difference in this one for George Mason, however, was the strong play of a pair of graduate students in D’Shawn Schwartz and DeVon Cooper. Schwartz buried a career-best six 3-pointers, and finished with 24 points, while Cooper went for 16 and made critical plays in the second half.
This was a Maryland team featuring a lot of familiar faces. Former URI point guard Fatts Russell transferred in during the offseason, as did Georgetown center Qudus Wahab. Eric Ayala, who played terrifically in Maryland’s win over UConn in the NCAA Tournament just seven months earlier with 23 points, went for 17 against Mason. Russell shot just 1-7 in scoring two points, while Wahab (8 points, 5 boards) and Oduro (12 points, 4 rebounds) essentially negated one another.
“This is our fourth win against a team that will finish at the top of their league," English said after the win. “That's the most important thing. I saw something in the media where they said it was a big game for us. Our guys know that's the complete opposite of what we preach. We didn't prepare for Maryland any differently than we did Stony Brook, Penn, Morgan State. Our standard is our standard. I'm really proud of our guys. It keeps us on track with our goals. It's a quality road win.”
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