Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor dropped 17 points in his season opener, absolutely lighting up the court as George Mason took down UMBC 82-54 on Monday night. It wasn’t even close, folks, with George Mason seizing control early and never looking back.
George Mason’s Dominance: From Tip-Off to Final Buzzer
Right from the jump, George Mason set the tone. They snatched the lead with 19:40 still on the clock in the first half and UMBC didn’t even sniff it again. Elijah Jones was a force in that first half, pouring in eight points to help secure a 33-27 lead going into the break. You love to see a team come out of the locker room and just step on the gas, right? That’s exactly what George Mason did. They blew the game wide open in the second half, fueled by a scorching 21-2 scoring run that pushed their advantage to a staggering 56-34. Oliogu-Elabor, fresh off his hot start, kept the momentum going, leading his squad with 11 points in the second half to seal the dominant win. He wasn’t just scoring either, grabbing six boards to add to his impressive opener. Makhai Valentine chipped in 12 points, connecting on three field goals and going 5-for-7 from the free throw line. And Jones wasn’t done, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds on the night. Talk about a complete performance!
UMBC’s Struggle to Keep Pace
For UMBC, it was a tough night. They just couldn’t find an answer for George Mason’s offensive firepower or their defensive tenacity. Aidan Able led the Retrievers with 13 points and dished out four assists, trying to keep his team in it. Aasim Burton and Devin Ceaser each added 11 points to the scoreboard, but it wasn’t nearly enough to match George Mason’s collective effort. Once George Mason found that groove, especially with that massive second-half run, UMBC just couldn’t recover.
George Mason is looking to keep this winning momentum rolling, with their next game set for Friday at home against Coppin State. UMBC, on the other hand, will look to bounce back when they visit Marist on Thursday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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