| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Tim Lightfoot's first 3-pointer hit
nothing but net, and for the rest of the night the New Mexico guard
felt he couldn't miss.
Lightfoot scored a career-high 22 points and New Mexico got
double-figure scoring from its other two guards to beat George
Mason 79-68 Monday night in the opening round of the Preseason NIT.
"I hit my first shot and from then the goal was as wide as the
ocean," Lightfoot said. "Hopefully, I can make those shots when
we go up against Temple."
New Mexico will play the Owls in Philadelphia in the second round Wednesday. Temple beat Delaware 56-49 Monday.
Erik Herring had career highs with 28 points and five 3-pointers
for George Mason and George Evans, the Patriots' 29-year-old senior
center, scored 21 points. But no other George Mason player scored
more than seven points.
New Mexico got a combined 57 points from its backcourt trio of Lightfoot, Eric Chatfield and Marlon Parmer. Parmer scored 18 and
Chatfield, in foul trouble much of the night, added 17 points.
The three were a combined 15-for-25 from the field.
"They just came out and made some plays," Parmer said of his
backcourtmates. "I just love our guard depth. That's where our
strength is."
Chatfield scored six consecutive points -- on a 3-pointer and a
three-point play -- to squelch a George Mason rally midway through
the second half that had brought the Patriots to 45-42 with
11:45 remaining.
Chatfield hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left on the shot
clock, then threw up a shot that went in as he crashed to the floor
in the lane. He was fouled on the play and converted the free
throw.
"It looked like they were going to end up having to take a bad
shot and (Chatfield) ended up being able to bury a 3-pointer,"
George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said. "It gave them some momentum and we were never able to recover from that."
Chatfield's six points kicked off a 15-2 run that made it 60-44
with 7:39 remaining.
Lightfoot scored 18 points in the first half, including four
3-pointers.
New Mexico won despite committing 23 turnovers. The Lobos'
sloppy ballhandling was offset by their 55 percent shooting and a
38-23 edge in rebounding.
"We're obviously still not sure of what we're doing, but if you
shoot 56 percent, play ugly and win, it's good," New Mexico coach
Fran Fraschilla said.
The quicker Lobos also shot 40 free throws, making 31. At one
point in the second half New Mexico hit 20 of 22 foul shots.
Larranaga said New Mexico set the tempo behind the first-half
scoring of its three guards. Over the first 10 minutes of the game,
Lightfoot, Chatfield and Parmer scored all but two of the Lobos'
first 25 points.
"We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole," Larranaga said.
"Early on we forced some turnovers, and if we could have converted
those into fastbreak baskets, that would have been very
significant. Instead, the ball ended up in the hands of their good
shooters."
| |
ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
George Mason Clubhouse
New Mexico Clubhouse
|
