Game Story; JMU 57, George Mason 52

Saturday, February 22

Fairfax, Va.

TBA

James Madison University

11-15, 7-9CAA

George Mason

14-11, 9-7CAA

James Madison

George Mason

2/22/2003 3:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. (2/22/2003) – David Fanning scored 17 of his game-high 28 points during the final 11:17, and JMU rallied from a 10-point, second-half deficit to beat George Mason 57-52.

The Patriots scored the final seven points of the opening half to lead 29-23 and got the final half's first four points for a 33-23 advantage before JMU used a 16-2 scoring burst to go in front to stay 39-35 with 9:02 remaining.

The Dukes, who won their second straight game and defeated George Mason for the second time in 2002-03, led only 47-45 when Jon Plefka hit on a 12-footer from the left baseline with 1:45 to play and on two free throws with 1:03 left for a 51-45 JMU margin. The Dukes then hit on six of eight free throws the rest of the way, including four straight by Fanning, to hold on for the win.

JMU began turning the game around during the second half with its "purple team" of five reserves on the court after George Mason had gone in front by 10 points, and the Dukes stayed ahead while playing zone defense.

Fanning was JMU's only double-figure scorer. He hit on seven of 13 shots overall, six of 10 three-point tries and eight of 10 free throws. Fanning had nine points – six on three-pointers – and Wes Miller had two three-pointers during the Dukes' 16-2 second-half scoring run. Fanning matched his season high for three-pointers, and Plefka finished with five points and two rebounds in 18 minutes.

Fanning scored 11 of JMU's first 17 points, and the Dukes led by as many as six points before going scoreless for the final 3:15 of the first half.

JMU shot 39 percent (17-44) to George Mason's 33 percent (19-58) and hit on eight three-pointers (22 attempts) to only one in 11 attempts by the Patriots. George Mason had a 45-26 rebounding advantage and had 20 offensive rebounds but committed 19 turnovers to JMU's 14.

George Mason's 23 second-half points and one three-point field goal were JMU-opponent-season lows, and the Patriots' 32.8 percent overall shooting mark was the second-worst mark by a 2002-03 JMU opponent (Puerto Rico-Mayaguez shot 32.3 percent against the Dukes Dec. 21 in the San Juan Shootout).